Are Cameras the New Guns?

Check out this story. Do the words "double standard" come to mind? What about "loss of freedom"? What about "police state"?
http://gizmodo.com/5553765/are-cameras-the-new-guns?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gizmodo%2Ffull+%28Gizmodo%29

This is poison to a free state. If you don't agree with that statement, I have one word for you: "Baaaa."

Would they refrain from using video just because you had not given your consent? (The question makes you laugh out loud, doesn't it.) Of course not. It's okay to add camera surveillance all over the place, at red lights, in some major cities, and at some events. But God forbid a free citizen records some video in a public place.


Police don't have any problem focusing cameras on you. Check out this story from Oklahoma:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/oklahoma-to-deploy-photo-ticketing-cameras-statewide/#more-358413

"Oklahoma is preparing an unprecedented statewide deployment of automated ticketing machines designed to generate $95 million in revenue. Instead of using red light cameras and speed cameras, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS) is preparing to sign a contract with a for-profit company that will track all passing motorists with a network of at least twenty automated license plate recognition (ALPR, also known as ANPR) cameras. The devices would also 'generate significant additional revenues' by issuing $250 citations for expired insurance using the Oklahoma Compulsory Insurance Verification System (OCIVS) database that went live in July 2009."

"'DPS envisions a system of automated enforcement of vehicle insurance which incorporates, at a minimum, the following processes: capture vehicle license plate data from stationary locations along selected highways using cameras (and) barcode scanners,' a DPS request for information dated October 16, 2009 explained. 'Oklahoma’s new license plates include a barcode.'"

"The proposal includes a requirement for the ability to keep 'daily statistics and related data on vehicles for which license plate data was captured,' which could include logging the date, time and location any particular vehicle passes a stationary camera. The two largest red light camera vendors, Australia’s Redflex Traffic Systems and American Traffic Solutions (ATS), which is one-third owned by Goldman Sachs, offer a nationwide tracking service that uses automated ticketing machines."

Nationwide tracking of vehicles? George Orwell may have been off by a number of years, but Big Brother will get here--unless we wake up.

The article goes on to mention the usual problem of innocent drivers being accused by this system. Amazingly, in one case it resulted in a death:
"On May 19, 2008 a Northumbria, UK police officer engaged in hot pursuit of a vehicle that had been flagged by the plate recognition system. While speeding through the neighborhood, the officer struck and killed sixteen-year-old Hayley Adamson. It turns out that the database information that triggered the alarm was incorrect and the car being chased was had done nothing wrong."

One vendor stated, "The vendor and DPS will be accused of ‘trolling’… not really knowing status but hoping that enough vehicle owners will actually be driving uninsured vehicles to make the system profitable. This is certain to create a vast number of failed citations, a very high level of bad press, public resistance and reduced revenues… If a name and address is sent in a broadcast email to many insurers, that would be in clear violation of both state and federal DPPA laws, inviting challenge in the courts and also greatly reduce the ability to provide revenues to the state; that too means that current projections would have to be reduced; this is a serious problem with the current system."

Here is the State of Oklahoma bid solicitation:
http://thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2010/ok-anpr-solicit.pdf

"The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS) is interested in expanding their current verification process to include a system of automated enforcement of vehicle insurance that will encompass a larger target group without expending manpower, resources, or agency dollars."

"The vendor will be paid, in arrears, an agreed percentage of proceeds recovered on each administrative penalty for the offense of having no vehicle liability insurance in force. Neither the State of Oklahoma nor DPS will provide, at any time, any funding for this system. Funding of start-up, testing, implementation, administration, maintenance, support, and on-going cots will be the responsibility of the vendor as specified in the contract."

And you still thought it wasn't about the money???


Actually, it's worse than that. It turns out that cops don't even need to photo/film/measure what you're doing to convict you. Their standard of proof is quite a bit lower. Thus is freedom lost.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/03/guessing-cops-allowed-to-give-speeding-tickets-in-ohio/

"The Ohio Supreme Court just ruled that a police officer needs nothing more than his or her informed guess on how fast a vehicle is traveling in order to issue a traffic citation. ...As of right now, officers can merely say that you're exceeding the posted speed limit and you'll be stuck with points on your license and a hefty fine to deal with."


Nor do they need any reason to stop you.  Witness some chilling videos showing what I think are illegal checkpoints. We NEED cameras pointed at thugs in uniform.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4zYizaMmDo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msFEj-UBU9Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvBCqQrS1nk (part 1 of 3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJE0nS_IC50&feature=related (part 2 of 3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCjjN0WV3RM&feature=related (part 3 of 3)

In that final video they mention a website, http://checkpointusa.org/, that sounds interesting. I haven't checked it out much, but it looks like a decent resource to check out if for some reason your blood pressure is a little low.

I fully realize that some of you will say that these are no big deal, just answer their questions and move on. But where does it stop?


Remember what I said earlier about the most popular post on Mises.org? These key paragraphs are worth repeating:

"And yet, when it comes right down to it on the particulars, we can't stand the police. We keep a constant lookout for them when we drive. We dread being pulled over. We know in our hearts that they are out to get us, and represent more of a threat than a security for our freedoms.

"In the end, we need to realize that the police are like all other government employees: self-interested, living off tax dollars, parasitical on our liberties."