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NYPD To Google: Stop Revealing the Location of Police Checkpoints (nypost.com)
schwit1 shares a report from the New York Post: The NYPD is calling on Google to yank a feature from its Waze traffic app that tips off drivers to police checkpoints -- warning it could be considered "criminal conduct," according to a report on Wednesday. The department sent a cease-and-desist letter over the weekend demanding Google disable the crowd-sourced app's function that allows motorists to pinpoint police whereabouts, StreetsBlog reported. "Individuals who post the locations of DWI checkpoints may be engaging in criminal conduct since such actions could be intentional attempts to prevent and/or impair the administration of the DWI laws and other relevant criminal and traffic laws," wrote Acting Deputy Commissioner for Legal Matters Ann Prunty in the letter, according to the website. My $0.02 is that the NYPD loses on first amendment grounds.
About 5-10 years ago, there was a Supreme Court opinion that said people flashing their headlights to indicate a police presence was a 1st amendment right.
The article talks both of DWI and of other speed and safety traps.
The goal for speed enforcement is (or should be) for drivers to slow traffic down to the speed limit and drive safely. When the alerts show up, that is exactly what drivers do near the checkpoint. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, at least in that zone.
What they should be asking for is inserting extra markers when dangerous conditions are forming, so those app users can reduce traffic speeds before a crash occurs.
//TODO: Think of witty sig statement
This app also assists Lawful and Non-Impaired drivers in avoiding the inconvenience or uncomfortable situation of happening upon an unexpected checkpoint and possibly becoming subject to some search or test that they wish to avoid.
In other words.... this functionality has lawful and beneficial uses, contrary to what their letter suggests.
Furthermore, the submission, sharing, and dissemination of this information about government activity is speech of a political nature among the types of speech most strongly protected by the 1st Amendment of the US constitution, which the NYC PD is not above.
The law says you have a right to not be detained without reasonable cause, and freedom in security of your belongings from unwarranted searches.
Checkpoints prevent these lawful protections.
They get around this in some areas by publishing where these checkpoints will be. All of these actions take away rights by claiming exigent circumstances or public interest. Due to well-deserved lawsuits, they have to restore those rights somehow to prevent abuses.
But you're complaining about how those rights are restored. You are backwards.
Amen to that. You claim it's all about safety and not revenue? Visible cops will deter bad driving more than hidden speed traps and these bullshit "Checkpoints"...
Fuck you and your secret police shit.
Ahm.... these are DUI checkpoints. The revenue is not much, but they get drunk drivers who are currently drunk off the road. This isn't speed cameras or other big ticket revenue generators.
DUI convictions are huge money for municipalities. If somehow all alcohol users stopped driving, there would be budget shortfalls. A budget shortfall actually happened in the city of Westland Mi about 10 years ago due to a "labor action" on the part of the police department over contract negotiations. They stopped pulling people over & arresting them for DUI for several months.
The massive fines for DUI is actually part of many cities budgets.
SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT
I totally agree. In fact I think the hidden speed traps are more hazardousness than they are helpful.
There have been too many times when I'm jamming on the breaks and swerving into the median trying not to hit the car in front of me, or seeing this in cars ahead, because we went from 70 down to 45, just because over a hill or around a corner was a speed trap.
when you see the police just driving in traffic, people slow down, less abruptly, and drive more safely. The speed traps are all about revenue and have nothing to do with public safety.
in NY it is law for them to post where these are going to be anyway.... so I am not really sure what their complaint is. what that waze is posting what the PD is legally obligated to post before any checkpoints anyway??
have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
If you need to swerve to avoid hitting the car in front of you, you are too close. Leave a larger stopping distance for your own safety.
on YouTube.
Long story short it's a symptom of Tough on Crime Laws and police militarization that's created an "Us vs Them" mentality. The Drug War hurts a lot too since a large percentage of folks smoke pot or know someone who does and that means you're always scared shitless when a cops around since they can arrest you and take your stuff.
The solution's easy: Stop Voting for Tough on Crime politicians, end the Drug war and stop civil asset forfeiture (which was created for the Drug War anyway). There's a few other odds and ends we can do (California has an anti-speed trap law, and properly funding your police so they're not dependent on civil asset forfeiture is a good start) too.
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