License plate reader led police to man who killed reporter, cameraman

8-28-15 Virginia:

"As soon as it was entered, it came up with a positive hit."

The man who authorities said infamously killed two Virginia television journalists Wednesday was tracked down by police via license plate reader technology, according to law enforcement.

A Virginia state trooper told a news conference Wednesday that she hit Vester Lee Flanagan's plate number on her first try along Interstate 66 around 11:20am ET. "As soon as it was entered, it came up with a positive hit that that vehicle just passed me less than three minutes earlier," she said. "I let my dispatch know that the vehicle has passed me and I attempted to catch up with the vehicle, which was travelling eastbound on 66."

Moments later, police tried to stop the Chevrolet the man was driving. The vehicle drove off the road and crashed, and Flanagan, who also went by Bryce Williams, was discovered to have shot himself. He later died of his self-inflicted injuries.

"License plate readers are a great tool," said Sgt. Rick Garletts of the Virginia State Police. "It helped in that case to identify that vehicle."

WDBJ-TV journalists Alison Parker and Adam Ward were gunned down Wednesday on live TV. ..Continued.. by David Kravets

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California poised to implement first electronic license plates

9-7-2013 California:

Cops, license plate readers are obsolete. You can now track us closer.

This week, the California State Senate approved a bill that would create the nation’s first electronic license plate. Having already passed the state’s assembly, the bill now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown (D) for his signature.

The idea is that rather than have a static piece of printed metal adorned with stickers to display proper registration, the plate would be a screen that could wirelessly (likely over a mobile data network) receive updates from a central server to display that same information. In an example shown by a South Carolina vendor, messages such as “STOLEN,” “EXPIRED,” or something similar could also be displayed on a license plate.

The bill’s language says that for now, the program would be limited to a “pilot program” set to be completed no later than January 1, 2017.

“The pilot program shall be limited to no more than 0.5 percent of registered vehicles for the purpose of road testing and evaluation,” the bill states.

Other states, including South Carolina and New Jersey, also have similar bills in progress. A South Carolina company, Compliance Innovations, did not immediately respond to Ars’ request for comment. That company has been leading the charge in the Palmetto State to implement electronic license plates.

State isn’t getting location data directly, for now

Not surprisingly, though, privacy concerns abound. After all, if the state’s authorities can send and receive data to your digital license plate, then they have to know where you are. That would make the use of the increasingly ubiquitous license plate readers completely irrelevant—law enforcement likely would be able to either directly access location data in real-time and/or get historical travel data.

The state senator who introduced the bill, Sen. Ben Hueso, a Democrat who represents San Diego, did not respond to Ars’ multiple requests for an interview or comment. It still remains unclear as to exactly why this bill was proposed and what its objectives are. The precise technical details of the program are similarly unclear, as is how long plate information would be retained and who would have access to it.

“We've been talking to Sen. Hueso on the bill, and it's gotten some amendments that address some of the location privacy issues—within the pilot, the DMV would not be receiving any location information,” Lee Tien, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), told Ars. “But the company that operates the plates would [have access, and] they are going to be controlling what's on the plates.”

The privacy advocate likened the proposed system to a moving wiretap that reveals an individual’s vehicle location constantly.

California has already chosen a small, unknown startup

Various local media have reported that the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) would save $20 million in postage by not having to mail renewal stickers. The DMV did not immediately respond to Ars’ request to confirm this figure. Further, the bill—known officially as SB 806—did not originate with the DMV.

“The California Department of Motor Vehicles does not have a position on SB 806,” Artemio Armenta, a DMV spokesperson, told Ars in ...continued... by Cyrus Farivar

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Switch to Electronic License Plates Could Improve SC Highway Safety

6-17-2013 South Carolina:

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina is considering a proposal, still in its early stages, to switch from metal license plates to new electronic license plates, or e-tags, as a way to improve highway safety.

"It's the first of its kind," says David Findlay, co-founder of Compliance Innovations, the South Carolina company that created the e-tags. "It's not an LCD or an LED. What it's made of is electronic paper. It's a new technology that allows you to hold the image with no power whatsoever for over 10 years. The only time it needs power is when you're changing the status or the image on the plate."

That power comes from the vibrations of your car, and from a transparent film over the tag that collects solar power.

The reason e-tags should improve highway safety is because the tags would be electronically linked to the DMV, so if a driver's license has been suspended or his insurance has lapsed, the DMV would send a signal to the license plate. The word "SUSPENDED" or "UNINSURED" would appear on the license plate.

If your car is stolen, the DMV could make the tag read "STOLEN". The state could also use the tags during Amber Alerts or other emergencies.

"We actually put that wording on the license plate across the top and, depending on how the state wants it, it could be in bright red, and we can actually flash the plate, have it flashing as it goes down the road," says Brian Bannister, co-founder of the company.

Even though the DMV would be able to send a signal to the electronic license plate to change its wording, the agency would not be able to track where you are. "No one entity could actually track an individual vehicle," Bannister says. "It would require three court orders: to the DMV; to us; and the (cellular) carrier themselves to actually be able to locate a vehicle."

At this point, the company is proposing that the state use e-tags as a pilot program with state-owned vehicles. There are still several things that need to be worked out, like reducing the size of the prototype e-tags so they're the same size as current license plates, and bringing down production costs. While a metal license plate costs anywhere from $3 to $7 to make, Findlay says his company is hoping to reduce the cost to make e-tags to under $100.

But the savings to the state could be significant. It's estimated the state loses $150 million a year because of drivers who drive with expired tags or without insurance.

Findlay and Bannister says if the state switches to e-tags and that reduces the number of uninsured drivers, insurance companies would lower their rates. ..Source.. by Robert Kittle

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ABC 24 Reporter Mistakenly Listed as Possible Sex Offender

While there is likely no problem with the license plate scanning portion of this software, that cannot be said of this tagging of "Possible Sex Offender" feature. That feature causes this software to be one of the worst ever. To tag everyone living in a building as "Possible Sex Offender" because one person in the building is, is absolute foolishness. Buildings that contain apartments, always have apartment designations in their respective address. How this software, with this feature, was ever purchased and allowed to operate, is beyond me.

UPDATE: Lets see, when police do home address checks on sex offenders, do they also BANG on doors of possible sex offenders, tagged by this dumb system feature?

See also and w/picture of reader "License plate reader proves a sound investment for Olive Branch police." The system is known as "SkyCop" click on link for pictures adnd description of SkyCop.

2-4-2012 Tennessee:

MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - An ABC 24 reporter and an entire Memphis apartment complex is flagged as possible sex offenders, all because of one North Carolina man.

Tennessee residents can trace sex offenders through the TBI website; just put in an address and see if there are any close by. However, Memphis police know if there are any close by simply by scanning license plates. But if you live in an apartment complex, or if you share the same street name as an offender, police officers could think you're an offender too.

ABC 24's Joy Lambert was shocked when she found out her car registration was flagged as a possible sex offender. The License Plate Reader system manager for the Memphis Police Department, John Harvey, said the sex offender is a man named Carlton Wood from North Carolina. He's the reason Lambert, and her entire apartment complex, are red flagged. Harvey said, "It has to do with the possibility that a sex offender lives in a certain address or within an address. Since you live in apartments, the program is designed to look for matches on the street number and street name." Wood's last reported address has the same street name and numbers as Lambert's complex.

That's how all the matches come up with MPD's license plate reader and matches happen all the time. Warrants, felons, even gang members pop up the same way, helping police to identify a threat or a criminal. But innocent people, if they have similar addresses, are flagged as well.

If an officer saw the "possible sex offender" flag, Harvey said, "Typically they wouldn't do anything if you were just out in the public, unless you were in a school zone, or near a park or something where sex offenders are not supposed to be. Then if they were to do something they would click on the alert and it would tell them who that sex offender is." He told Lambert, "In your case that sex offender was a male; they wouldn't do anything most likely." However, if a male from the same complex was caught near a school, "They would probably stop and check them," Harvey said.

MPD said license plate readers work the way they want them too, which means if your address is flagged it will stay that way. "There's really nothing you can do," Harvey said, "because the officers need to know there's a possible sex offender there."

MPD stresses to its officers, when a flag comes up they are just possibilities - they still have to go through police protocol to determine a threat or violation. Police have made thousands of arrests because of the license plate readers. Even though it makes flagged citizens uncomfortable, MPD said the system is keeping Memphis safer. ..Source.. by Joy Lambert

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MD- Local teens claim pranks on county's Speed Cams

So, all one needs is an enemy, a license plate number, a picture of a valid plate, and a computer to make a false plate which then can be used to trick these cameras. This type of vigilantism is more than disturbing, someone could target anyone if they wanted to. Hopefully, these cameras are modified to detect this serious problem.

12-28-2008 Maryland:

As a prank, students from local high schools have been taking advantage of the county's Speed Camera Program in order to exact revenge on people who they believe have wronged them in the past, including other students and even teachers.

Students from Richard Montgomery High School dubbed the prank the Speed Camera "Pimping" game, according to a parent of a student enrolled at one of the high schools.

Originating from Wootton High School, the parent said, students duplicate the license plates by printing plate numbers on glossy photo paper, using fonts from certain websites that "mimic" those on Maryland license plates. They tape the duplicate plate over the existing plate on the back of their car and purposefully speed through a speed camera, the parent said. The victim then receives a citation in the mail days later.

Students are even obtaining vehicles from their friends that are similar or identical to the make and model of the car owned by the targeted victim, according to the parent.

"This game is very disturbing," the parent said. "Especially since unsuspecting parents will also be victimized through receipt of unwarranted photo speed tickets.

The parent said that "our civil rights are exploited," and the entire premise behind the Speed Camera Program is called into question as a result of the growing this fad among students.

The Speed Camera Program was implemented in March of this year and used for the purpose of reducing traffic and pedestrian collisions in the county. Cameras are located in residential areas and school zones where the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour or lower. A $40 citation is mailed to the owner of the car for violating the speed limit in these areas.

The Montgomery County Police said they have not seen or heard of this prank occurring but said they will keep an eye out for people committing the crime.

"I hope the public at large will complain loudly enough that local Montgomery County government officials will change their policy of using these cameras for monetary gain," the parent said. "The practice of sending speeding tickets to faceless recipients without any type of verification is unwarranted and an exploitation of our rights."

Edward Owusu, Assistant Principal at Wootton High School, said that he heard of local students pulling the prank when the school received a call from a parent informing them of its occurrence. "I have not heard of this happening among students at Wootton," Osuwu said. "It is unfortunate that kids have a lot of time on their hands that they can think of doing such a thing."

Montgomery County Council President Phil Andrews said that the issue is troubling in several respects. "I am concerned that someone could get hurt, first of all, because they are speeding in areas where they know speeding is a problem," he said.

Andrews also said that this could hurt the integrity of the Speed Camera Program. "It will cause potential problems for the Speed Camera Program in terms of the confidence in it," he said.

He said he is glad someone caught it before it becomes more widespread and he said he hopes that the word get out to the people participating in this that there will be consequences. ..News Source.. by Joe Slaninka

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