I moved this blog to http://hallcrash.spacesocket.com/Blog
this artical : http://hallcrash.spacesocket.com/Blog/2009/02/07/licence-plate-scanning-controversy/
I wanted more options and the downloadable version had them.
The other day, I was driving to work, minding my own business, and obeying the rules of the road. I entered a school zone and checked my speed. It was 25 MPH, the posted limit. Around a corner, in his car, was a town police officer. I guessed he was checking people’s speed. That might have been his original goal but, just a few miles further down the road I found him following me with his lights blazing. Being a law abiding citizen, I pulled right over. The officer quickly made his way to my car and asked only for my license and registration. No insurance. I gave it to him quickly as I asked why I was stopped. After looking at my license he told me, to my surprise, it was suspended. Rolling through my head are the words misdemeanor, tow, and impound charges. I am in shock, how did this happen with no notification? The officer was going out of his way to be polite. He saw a razorblade on my dash board and pointed it out to me asking: “Do you have any other weapons in the car other than that razor?”. I said no, and I explained the razor was there because I had just changed the registration sticker in the window. He explained that committing an AUO (aggravated unlicensed operation) is probable cause for searching the car. Remembering a law class I had taken at a university, I knew he was correct, he had to arrest me for a misdemeanor. The officer asked me to step out of the car and empty my pockets. I did and as I pulled out a wad of fifty dollar bills, the look in his eye went from, polite to quizzical. I knew he would spend some time in the car looking around. The officer allowed me to keep all my gear and he put me in the back of his car un-cuffed, how nice. I snapped these pic’s with my cell phone.
Before the officer closed the door, he asked me to call someone within a 10 minute radius to drive my car or it would be towed. I thought, what a nice guy! I didn’t want to pay an impound charge, so I called a coworker who happened to be working from home and lived just around the corner. The phone rang 4 times and I got his voicemail. I was in a pinch, I didn’t want my car towed and the one guy who could help me was probably in the bathroom. The officer was done ravaging though my car and had returned to his driver’s seat. I told him I could not contact anyone and he began to book me in the car. He asked me questions like “do I have any gang affiliations”" and “are you a Nazi?” After the booking, he began to show me the equipment in the car. I was very interested in the software he was using and he then showed me the License Plate Scanner that had told him my license was suspended. It showed me the name of the town court that suspended it. I explained that I had not a clue why they suspended it. I asked if the device could tell me. He said no. This is where I broke! I exclaimed loudly “What a WILD Disconnect!” Then, my phone rang. It was my coworker, asking why I had called him. I explained the situation as briefly as I could and he and his wife and 3 of his kids came to my rescue. The officer even checked my coworker’s license to be sure he could drive, the officer let me go on my own recognaissance and gave me a ticket and a court date for less then 2 weeks away.
Further investigation revealed that I had an outstanding overdue vehicle inspection ticket from 2 years ago. I think I had paid it; I am looking though my bank history to figure it out now.
I am not mad at the officer for performing his job, he could have made it a lot worse. I am angry at the court and the DMV for not informing me that my license was suspended. I am also angry at the License Plate Scanning device. In all reality I SHOULD have been booked, and my car SHOULD have been towed. If I was in a busier town or I had an officer of a different demeanor, I would have been in a world of hell for at least 24 hours, trying to make bail, figuring out where my car was, and funding its release. It is easy to accuse someone with all the technology at the officer’s disposal; to prove innocence has not the same technology in place. It is horrific. Though, I do appreciate the in car booking, I am sure that isnt a statewide thing.
Yet there is ANOTHER problem here. I own 2 cars that are registered to me. My wife can drive either one. She could get pulled over endlessly, hour after hour because she is driving my car, and this “License Plate Scanner” informs an officer that the owner of the car has a suspended license, but she is committing no wrong to get pulled over. This is probably worse for a person who has DUI, may be in jail with a suspended license, and the wife or other family member is driving a car registered in the offenders name. In this case it is harassment.
I sent an email to my assemblywomen. Explaining that it’s not a crime to have a suspended license, nor is it a crime to drive someone’s car that has a suspended license. And since the officer has to “assume” the diver is the owner, the officer will be wrong 50% of the time, since the DMV statistics show that 50% of the people with a driver licenses don’t have cars registered to them. Isn’t it crazy that I have a better chance of her accidently coming across this post than her actually reading my letter!
I moved this blog to http://hallcrash.spacesocket.com/Blog
this artical : http://hallcrash.spacesocket.com/Blog/2009/02/07/licence-plate-scanning-controversy/
I wanted more options and the downloadable version had them.
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