Minneapolis Police Catalog License Plates and Location Data

tripleevenfall writes "The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Minneapolis police used automated scanning technology to log location data for over 800,000 license plates in June alone, with 4.9 million scans having taken place this year. The data includes the date, time, and location where the plate was seen. Worse, it appears this data is compiled and stored for up to a year and is disclosed to anyone who asks for it."

Comments

Re:Log the Minneapolis Police

[girlintraining]

Okay. Heeeere's your sign:

"Flashing lights are prohibited, except on an authorized emergency vehicle, school bus, bicycle as provided in section 169.222, subdivision 6, road maintenance equipment, tow truck or towing vehicle, service vehicle, farm tractor, self-propelled farm equipment, rural mail carrier vehicle, funeral home vehicle, or on any vehicle as a means of indicating a right or left turn, or the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking, or passing. "

Next up, flashing your high beams. If you flash your beams to warn other drivers, you very likely will be doing that when they are less than 1,000 feet away. Hello ticket!

You may be right that coming straight out and saying warning motorists of an upcoming speed trap is protected speech today, in Certain jurisdictions, but there has been no nationwide precident, and it's quite clear that the laws have been rewritten so officers can continue to punish you for warning other motorists, they simply now classify it as either an equipment malfunction (if you say you didn't flash your lights), or a moving violation (if you say you did). Oh, point of note: The fines for each cost the same. Choose well, young grasshopper.