Automated License Plate Recognition [wiki] or ALPR technology is not exactly new: it was invented in 1976 and is currently used to for traffic congestion control in London.
Canada is testing out a portable system using a specially outfitted police cars: cameras on the outside of the car will automatically scan license plates of cars as the policeman drives - and the computer will ping if it finds a match of the license plate with a hit from databases of stolen vehicles, outstanding warrants, etc.
Predictably, critics are accusing the system as being Big Brother-worthy. Oh, and see if you can find the "irony" in the video clip. Hint: it's a guy driving.
Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - Thanks matthew!
Comments (10)
For anyone who is unable to view the video or would just prefer to read the content in text form, we have created a transcript of the video here:
http://public.youtranscript.com/zs/30.html
Thanks, YouTranscript
My understanding:
Police regularly keep track of licence plates in certain areas, parked or not. Sometimes, a plate is kept in their records for a few weeks, in case any crimes are reported.
Any time you're stopped in traffic near a cop, they're running plates through their computer. This just does it faster.
I like this idea, anything that can help catch criminals before they commit another crime is good in my books.
Besides, I don't care if the police have a record of where I park my car.
or there's still the electromagnetic pulse thingy, but my hardware store ran out of it ;)