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Video: PlateScan technologyThe Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is considering purchasing a camera system that would allow a patrol car to check up to 1,000 license plates per hour for violations ranging from parking tickets to felony warrants. The system also identifies cars linked to possible gang activity, officials said. This video shows a demonstration of the equipment on random vehicles at the Sheriff’s Office.
about Patrick Smith...
Patrick Smith is the videographer for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University’s photojournalism program. He has split his time between shooting still photos and video for the newspaper’s website since 2007. A native of Bloomington, Ill., Patrick completed internships with the U.S. Army Public Affairs Office and the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Since joining the Times Free Press, Patrick has been honored with several awards, including first and ...
This type of technology should be illegal. The representative stated that it prevented profiling and unwarranted traffic stops. However, in the short segment before this was stated it clearly showed an officer finding a license plate and placing comments on it which then could generate an alert each time this license plate is seen by the system.
Not only will this be used by these officers to stop people with warrants and felonies, but it will also be used to keep "watch" on cars or people they find suspicious or even worse, they don't care for. While it has never happened to me and I pray that it doesn't, I have had plenty of friends and family members who have been stopped without reason by the Hamilton County Sheriffs for "suspicious reasons". I can only imagine that this technology will be the cause of much more abuse of power.
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