Law Enforcement by Machines

Inst1gator writes "Nowadays, it seems as if more and more law enforcement is being done by machines. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be up to the job. And the humans don't want to take responsibility, either. This is a great "wakeup call" for those of you who are not aware."

Comments

Everyone needs to be better informed

[liquidice5]

Not only does the robots need to get better at law enforcement,
so do the Humans involved

At the bail hearing for Johnston, Tinney and three other defendants in Houston, the FBI's Kristen Sheldon ... testified that an IP address is, "in very simple terms, a Social Security number. Only one person at one specific time can have that number." In fact, an IP address identifies a computer, rather than a person, and may not even consistently map to a particular machine in networks that use dynamic IP addressing.

any one that is even allowed to even get near law enforcement in this area show have some kind of technology background, judges and jury included

The brief also identifies a file entitled "harry potter book report.rtf" whose name and tiny size (1K) make obvious that it is not an illegal copy of the Harry Potter movie. Obvious to anyone who looks, anyway. But why should the record and movie companies bother to look? They're unlikely to suffer any damages if ISPs take down the wrong files, and the consumers involved are unlikely to sue them. (In filing with the Internet Service Providers, a company representative even certified in writing "that we have a good faith belief that use of the material ... is not authorized by Warner Bros. ... or the law."

a person was definately involved in this situation, yet it was allowed to get this far
this should let everyone know that we have a problem, and that the "general public" is not as informed as we had hoped/thought

One near me

[Xtraneous]

There is one of these devices near my house. Although it does not give tickets still ellicits a Pavlovian response. Going more than 5 milez per hour over the speed limit, triggers a siren noise, and a "strobe" light until you decrease speed back to the psudo-legal range (Max MPH+5).

For the first few weeks of it being there, brake lights were flashing like none other (people tend to go very fast in this area), but now about 4 months later, the speeds in the area are back to the legal (and slow) speeds.

Re:One near me

[psych031337]

We have something similar around here (.de). It consists of the standard laser speed pistol cops use and a special sign that has a display built in, showing you the measured speed in real time while you are approaching.

This is used as a educational approach of getting the speeders to comply in residential areas which allow only a slow speed.

What happens is this:
a) People use it to measure how accurate their speedometer is displaying their speed, and how much speed "buffer" they have before a "live" system will trigger and take a picture.

b) People just plainly ignore it

c) Kids take their cars to the area where the system currently sits and while one takes off from the beginning of the road the other one wait by the sign to produce a nice picture of his buddy's taillights and the sign saying "83".

Computer Mug Shots

[Stinson]

In my local town, we have a new system that is this giant red box thats a combo mug shot taker, fingerprint scanner, and general data entry system. I got arrested recently for posession and i noticed how inaccurate it kept records of me, screwed up my photo a few times, and how compared with previous ink fingerprints i've had done in the past, it picked up the smallest details, like the incredably small scar thats hard to see by eye and made it a HUGE black line across my print, almost to the point that it could have voided that print invalid due to lack of comparison points. Technology should be curtailed to jobs they can do well

Well we have a choice

[sielwolf]

Go with humans, who are known fallable and subjective, or machines, who are known fallable and too objective. In the name of jusice (being blind and all) I think most of us would agree we would prefer an emotionally-inert policing force. The problem is then this: how do we trust them? Are they just being unilaterally fair or inept?

Cops now might pick up someone for Driving while Black but a machine wouldn't differentiate between the lunatic going 125 and the man rushing to get his dying wife to the hospital.

In the end we all assume we have a good idea how people are going to act. Thus we will always distrust machines to watch over us. These story remind me of Skynet from the Terminator. "Afterwards all stealth bombers flew with perfect operational records."

How did that story turn out? Man, out of fear, turns against the Machine. The Machine retaliates. Funny thing is that I think most people would agree with the story. In our heart of hearts all of us are Luddites. Heck, just read the poster's last comment: "This is a great "wakeup call" for those of you who are not aware."

Look to Europe?

[small_dick]

The motorcyclists in Europe have been hit hard by the ticketing machines, or so I've heard.

Not only do they have limits by age and displacement, now this big brother stuff...cameras mounted in trees, etc.

From what I've heard, some people are wearing masks and sneaking up to the cams and wrenching them...black spray paint over the lens or a strategic hammer blow, etc.

Presaged?

[Srin Tuar]

Isnt this what Lawrence Lessig was talking about in his big code is law rant?

Its makes sense, that if some piece of software is going to make legally binding judgements against you, that you should at least get to see the source code.
If not, then how the hell do you really know what the law is...

Re:The solution

[EvilTwinSkippy]

Actually I see law enforcement as a "Shaker Stool", with 3 legs, not 2. There is the legal system, with procedure and objectivity. There is the enforcement officer, with on the spot judgement and the ability to handle extraordinary cases. The third leg is the citizens themselves!

Folks, our job is to follow the law and let the police focus on nabbing the real criminals out there.

I am one of those luddites who use those stubby things for walking. People in general drive like ass, and most are blissfully ignorant of how often they nearly kill themselves or other people. Nothing is funnier than hearing a suit or a soccer mom try to explain that the accident could not have been their fault. After all they he/she is such a good person...

Most americans do not know how to set their own boundaries. We eat whatever size steak the resteraunt serves, no matter how obsurdly huge. We pay for our Schooling, no matter how obsurdly expensive. We gun our engines at a green light, and bitch loudly about having to stop again in 40 feet, and what crappy gas mileage we get.

Face it, an automated traffic monitoring system may finally convince people that there are laws to obey beyond the laws of physics! Innocent people may occasionally get a speeding ticket, but it sure beats innocent people being taken out by some car crossing the median after losing control from driving to fast!