In the first round of recipients of the 2016 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants from the governor’s office, Ocean City received $50,000 to cover some of the cost for a new plate reader at the Route 50 bridge.
“The remainder of the cost will be covered by other funds including a grant from Homeland Security,” Ocean City Police Public Affairs Specialist Lindsay Richard said. “No city tax dollars will be going towards this project.”
The reader scans thousands of vehicles’ plates in a short time and enters the information in national and state databases. Each plate is cross-referenced against wanted persons, missing persons, gang members and national sex offender lists.
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24 comments:
And whoever else they want to screen for.
This is the ultimate "Big Brother".
I suppose it will do some good at times, but the bad outweighs the good.
Example:
Using a tag reader, I was pulled over 3 times in four days while using a car lent to me while mine was being repaired.
1. "Wheel touched lane marker line." (Occurred supposedly while making a turn.)
2. "Changing lanes without using a blinker." (5AM in the morning on Baltimore Ave. in OC with no other car in sight.)
3. "Wheel touching center lane strip."
Having not being pulled over for anything for at least 20 years, I began to think that the car was jinxed somehow.
As it turned out, the owner of the car I was driving had his license revoked six months earlier, and that sent up the red flag for the reader.
All three of those "reasons" were complete nonsense of course, but now it made sense why I was being pulled over.
We're losing our freedom, folks. This is just another step toward that end.
BIG Brother at its best.
re: 11:56
Your #2 - your blinker isn't for the cars you *see*, its for the cars you don't see.
Great...more illegal gov't overreach.
Add the names of everybody on the No-Fly List, too.
Hell, while they're at it, also add names of know members of:
Black Lives Matter
KKK
Knights of Columbus
Jewish Defense League
Biker Gang Members
All Black People
Mexicans
Etc.
(I hope you're getting the sarcasm here.)
Merry Christmas everyone!
11:56 thank you. This is what these scanners will be used for.
5AM - A winter morning - not a car "in sight", not even PARKED cars.
The only car I didn't see was the Police Car, and the ticket was for not using the turn signal when making a left from the 50 Bridge onto Baltimore Ave from the LEFT TURN ONLY lane.
The point is that if you get flagged from a tag reader and they want to pull you over, they'll make up a reason.
There really is no such thing as a bad "reasonable stop, search, and seizure", even though it's in our Constitution.
They are mainly being used for vehicles on the road with no insurance, they usually have an officer nearby waiting to pull you over once you go through the scanner. A few of the police cars state wide also have them on their vehicles as well. Notice how in the article it doesn't state "insurance violations"? I personally know someone who went through this recently here in ocean city with the scanners....
Great news. Allows law enforcement to see the criminals. Nothing to fear if you don't do the crime.
Renaming the Rt. 50 drawbridge to the George Orwell Bridge?
That should be illegal.
Isn't this basically just spying on - or at least intruding on the privacy - every single American that owns a car?
I have no doubt that a record is kept or can be kept of every single license tag that passes one of these readers.
Sounds like paranoia, but with this thing the Government can track every step you make - even law abiding citizens.
Nothing to fear?
Read 11:56 again.
Three BS tickets - a little over $100 in fines
Three tickets (no points) listed on my driving record that resulted in a $125.00 A MONTH increase in my insurance policy for TWO YEARS.
(Don't tell me I should've gone to court. I certainly would have if I knew the insurance company uses them to increase my monthly payment. I did not know that then.)
3:50 you just don't get it.
"2. "Changing lanes without using a blinker." (5AM in the morning on Baltimore Ave. in OC with no other car in sight.)"
As I recall changing lanes does not require a turn signal. According to MD. law a turn signal is only required when changing direction via a turn and a turn from a turn only lane doesn't require a signal.
Don't have any offenses and nothing to worry about.
HOWEVER, I don't like this big brother bullying stuff either. MD's continued stigma of a money generator doesn't help either.
Double edged sword here.
I agree with you
Tell it to the judge, and you would probably win. (Even though you are wrong: ANY lane change requires a turn signal, even when pulling out of your home's driveway!)
If you choose to go to court, you'll miss at least a half-day's work for that $35 fine, and get to hang out for an entire morning with the dregs of the earth in court.
The ticket must be answered to, whether the officer was right in issuing it or not.
Wrong.
"...A person may not, if any other vehicle might be affected by the movement, turn a vehicle until he gives an appropriate signal in the manner required ..."
This includes vehicles that may or may not be located in front of the turning vehicle that may or may not be affected by a turning vehicle.
Maryland law.
10:45 sorry you are wrong Md law addresses signaling for a turn but not changing lanes. Although it is courteous to signal when changing lanes and a good idea it is not required by Md. law.
Oh Big Brother my a$$! These readers not used to give arbitrary traffic tickets and you would your tune if you had a child or loved one abducted.
What fool cop or politician decided to pay 50,000$ or more for a tag reader? I want in on that scam!
Good. They are highly useful in finding stolen cars. If your car is ever stolen you will be grateful for them.
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