Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Automated Plate Readers Let Police Collect Millions of Records On Drivers

Posted by timothy on from the carry-on-citizens dept.

schwit1 writes with a report on just how extensive always-on license plate logging has gotten. The article focuses on California; how different is your state? "In San Diego, 13 federal and local law enforcement agencies have compiled more than 36 million license-plate scans in a regional database since 2010 with the help of federal homeland security grants. The San Diego Association of Governments maintains the database. Unlike the Northern California database, which retains the data for between one and two years, the San Diego system retains license-plate information indefinitely. Can we get plate with code to delete the database?"

6 of 276 comments (clear)

  1. Exploits implementation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    There was a joke circling in Poland a couple years ago:
    http://i.pinger.pl/pgr456/3d49724c000eb4404b01224d
    worth a try ;)

    1. Re:Exploits implementation by Thud457 · · Score: 2, Funny

      hey, that's Bobby Tables' car!
      now I feel unclean because I posted a XKCD link to /.

      --

      the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  2. Re:public? by Antipater · · Score: 5, Funny

    i didn't realize small towns were keeping permanent databases.

    They have for decades. It's an undeletable, all-seeing database called "the Pastor's Wife"

    --
    Everything is better with chainsaws.
  3. Re:public? by fustakrakich · · Score: 3, Funny

    And the "Harper Valley PTA"

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  4. My truck ... by PPH · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... is already equipped with countermeasures.

    The plates are covered with mud and the entrails of small animals.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  5. Simple Solution: Reduce Following Distance by guttentag · · Score: 3, Funny

    And all this time I thought Californians who leave 0.1 seconds of following distance beween their car and the one in front were just stupid. Turns out they were trying to avoid having their plates scanned.