Here's a teaser from that article...
As determined as he is to make sure Marylanders wear seat belts, the thought of state troopers peering into cars on Rockville Pike with the same technology Special Forces use on night raids in Baghdad was a bit too much for Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.
Ehrlich ordered the state police yesterday never to repeat its experiment using night-vision goggles to catch violators of the state's seat belt law.
"The governor is committed to making sure Maryland's safety belt laws are enforced; however, he does not feel that this is an appropriate use of this type of technology," said Ehrlich spokeswoman Shareese DeLeaver. "The governor feels the police, not technology, should enforce our safety belt laws."
(SNIP)
Initial reports of the Rockville enforcement operation on Washington television stations sparked a backlash, largely on talk radio and conservative or civil libertarian Web sites, such as www.freerepublic.com and www.freedomisslavery.info.
Alas, in answer to my other question, "What about local agencies?" the article has this...
Although the state police will not use the technology, that doesn't mean local police won't. Lt. Eric Burnett, a Montgomery County police spokesman, said the department assisted the state police and has night-vision goggles of its own.
"We don't have any plans to use our night-vision goggles for that. ... But we're not going to say we never will," Burnett said.
Maybe it's time for talk radio guys to latch onto MoCo PD's ankles...
Montgomery County PD used to be cool. Now they suck right along with the best of them.
I surprises me not one lttle bit that Montgomery County Police will use it.
Thankfully, being on the Eastern Shore I rarelyy have reason to be in MoCo.........in fact after nearly 25 years on DelMarVa I've never been there :)
Thanks for the link.