High Tech Scofflaw Detection System

What a great word: Scofflaw.  I have never written it nor have I ever said it aloud.  However, I had good vocabulary training at St. Chatherine’s and it is an accurate description of the MPH900 — which I hope is not related to the HAL 9000 especially for anyone with the nickname “Dave”.

“Dave-id” Giacalone (scroll down a little) provides us a new look at this new Anti-Scofflaw Warfare (ASW) technology.  Here is a taste … 

The exciting law enforcement news around here last week was that our city

of 62 thousand souls now has two SPD police vehicles equipped with the

Mobile Plate Hunter 900 from RemingtonELSAG.  MPH900 is at the leading

edge of license plate recognition technology.  What does that mean?  Mounted

atop a police vehicle, the device can: 

"scan 20 license plates a second and then feed the information into

a computer database to determine if the owners are wanted for any-

thing from unpaid parking tickets and lapsed vehicle registration to

murder and robbery." ["Plate Hunter 900 has your number,"  Times

Union [Albany], April 20, 2006 (reprinted here) ] 

 

This looks to be more of a revenue generator to collect from deadbeat ticketees.  I don’t see it affecting real problems in auto theft as auto thieves will likely get the cars off the road or switch plates — which probably can not be detected that quickly even with advanced ASW technology.  However, as a taxpayer I’d like to collect from those deadbeat ticketees! 

On a different tack, is anyone curious about the first 899 versions of the MPH?

 

Comments

[david giacalone]

Only Mama Giacalone gets away with calling me "Dave," so I can scoff at computer-domination scenarios, for now.

I do predict a lot more mud-smeared license plates here in Schenectady. Low-tech scoffing is cheap and easy.

p.s. You forgot to mention the f/k/a Gang in your list of chronic readership.