Posted on 04/23/2002 3:37:20 PM PDT by bearsgirl90
A plan to use driver’s licenses to seek out criminals was dropped Monday even before it even got off the ground.
Kentucky State Police and the Transportation Cabinet decided against the plan after discussing the matter, according to Lt. Lisa Rudzinski, information officer for Kentucky State Police. No reasons were given for dropping the plan.
Lawmakers and defense attorneys across the commonwealth had mixed reviews about the plan that would have allowed police to plug into a database physical characteristics of a suspect and then be given a series of driver’s photos that could fit the bill. Those photos would then have been shown to witnesses for possible identification.
State Rep. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, called it a “horrid” idea and said she planned to fight it.
State Rep. Rob Wilkey, D- Franklin, said he was concerned about the prospect.
“I understand the idea, but I understand why law abiding people are concerned about this plan,” Wilkey said. “It’s in part trying to be convenient and another part of trying to appear unbiased.”
Wilkey said if State Police do eventually decide to implement the program, that they would test it in a limited area to measure its effectiveness.
“The state police need to assure people there won’t be any abuses of innocent people being bothered for questioning,” Wilkey said.
Kelly Thompson, a defense attorney in Bowling Green, saw no problems with the plan.
“As long as you are objective, I don’t see a problem,” Thompson said. “Now if you go and post the driver’s license picture on the Internet or CrimeStoppers, you’re invading someone’s privacy.”
Thompson stressed that as long as the photos are used in a police lineup or being used to talk to a witness, it’s OK.
“No harm, no foul,” Thompson said.
State police say the automated system, which was just in the proposal stage, would have allowed troopers and detectives to effortlessly create photopacks without having to sift through old mug shots to find enough people who look like the suspect.
If this plan would have been implemented, Kentucky would have been the first state to allow police to assemble photo lineups from digital driver’s license pictures, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
– The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
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