> “Also, what privacy rights does a license plate have?”
The plate reader links to a database full of information about the plate registrant. That is warrantless search.
Your logic is twisted backwards. You support warrantless search in the hopes that violations are found. You’re supporting the enabling of fishing expeditions. The criteria for ‘hit’ is subjective or political. The result is harassment.
There are many scenarios where ordinary persons who are not subject to a standing warrant can be harassed and disrupted.
I am noting to cross Ohio off my travel list. The people there appear per your description to be control-freaks with twisted ideas of enforcement.
There are much better ways of controlling illegal aliens that are more in the American way of justice.
Before you get all incensed to respond with a sanctimonious rant, consider the fact that a good portion of law enforcement officers are idiots with barely a high school education. Don’t ignore this fact. It is true and because it’s true the idiots you empower will cause good people a lot of grief.
For examples, call any experienced criminal lawyer who represents people who have had charges dismissed for lack of evidence but who had their lives turned upside down because of some idiot cowboy police jerk who was itching to take somebody in.
Watch this, all of it and then come back to share.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc
“The plate reader links to a database full of information about the plate registrant. That is warrantless search.”
If a police officer knows something about a plate registrant, he is allowed to act on it. Always has been. The ‘warrantless search’ business — that’s twisted backwards. If you don’t want police checking plates, then ban license plates. One or the other.
“You support warrantless search in the hopes that violations are found.”
Looking at a plate and reading related data is not a warrantless search. You would turn the legal system on its head with that interpretation.
“You’re supporting the enabling of fishing expeditions.”
If a cop had a photographic memory and reads files before driving, would you want him banned for being too efficient?
I support finding people going around with outdated license plates, people with false IDs that don’t match the plate’s official data.
“The result is harassment.”
That term ‘harassment’ is overworked, big-time.
“There are many scenarios where ordinary persons who are not subject to a standing warrant can be harassed and disrupted.”
Do you realize how harrassed honest, peace-loving citizens are because the police don’t have enough technology? And I wonder how many are killed? I want dangerous drivers off the road. That’s just one example.
“There are much better ways of controlling illegal aliens that are more in the American way of justice.”
I doubt you will find more efficient ways to catch the ones here in the US than through automated systems.
“Before you get all incensed to respond with a sanctimonious rant, consider the fact that a good portion of law enforcement officers are idiots with barely a high school education.”
And a computer can up his game. Yes, there will be glitches in any new system, but computers are really good at helping someone poorly trained keep up.
“... some idiot cowboy police jerk who was itching to take somebody in.”
And Ohio proved there is a political will to program the system to ignore minor crimes. Too willing when it comes to outdated license plates.