You *are* being watched...
in [UK Drivers]
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From: Maria on 22 Mar 2010 21:36 Ret. wrote: > From the current issue of the Cheshire Police monthly newspaper in an > article describing the creation of the NWMPG (North West Motorway Police > Group) which is a joint venture between Cheshire Police, Merseyside > Police, Lancashire Police and, shortly, Greater Manchester Police: > > Using Number Plate Technology; > > "In addition to the Mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) > cameras inside police vehicles, it was always envisaged that the > motorways would use 'fixed site' cameras to target criminals travelling > into the region. > Having ANPR at fixed sites would also help police anti-terrorism, > investigation and intelligence analysis. > At the end of September 2009 real-time number plate reading and matching > against police interest databases commenced a roll-out. The first fixed > site went live on the M6 in Cheshire with a further nine sites having > been identified, and it is envisaged that these will be fully functional > by April 2010. > The first site is reading 70,000 vehicle plates a day, and from this an > average of 1,800 'hits' - showing that the police or another agency have > an interest in the vehicle - are being recorded. > When all 10 sites are live it is anticipated that the ANPR will generate > an estimated 560,000 reads per day from which this will produce a > maximum of some 20,000 hits. > Linked to computer systems within the Force, this will provide > significant evidential benefit in major crime enquiries in addition to > providing opportunities for analysis of vehicle movements across the > motorway network to more effectively target vehicles of police interest. > The Force ANPR co-ordinator said: "Once the proposed cameras are set up, > and by using them in conjunction with our extensive CCTV coverage, > motorway officers will be able to trace a vehicle across the region > without losing sight of it." > And this could only be the start - 40 sites have been identified with a > scope for 170+ cameras/readers across the region, including Manchester." > Several years ago, I had a letter from one of these survey companies acting for the government - the letter said that I had been spotted by one of those tall blue things by the road, travelling at a certain time and date, and asking if I minded telling them where I was going and for what purpose. I suppose it was just a road use survey, but I was surprised at the time to receive it.
From: Steve Firth on 23 Mar 2010 02:55 Maria <fallingdown(a)holeinshoe.co.uk> wrote: > Several years ago, I had a letter from one of these survey companies > acting for the government - the letter said that I had been spotted by > one of those tall blue things by the road, I doubt it.
From: smurf on 23 Mar 2010 04:57 Ret. wrote: > From the current issue of the Cheshire Police monthly newspaper in an > article describing the creation of the NWMPG (North West Motorway > Police Group) which is a joint venture between Cheshire Police, > Merseyside Police, Lancashire Police and, shortly, Greater Manchester > Police: > Using Number Plate Technology; > > "In addition to the Mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) > cameras inside police vehicles, it was always envisaged that the > motorways would use 'fixed site' cameras to target criminals > travelling into the region. Having ANPR at fixed sites would also help > police anti-terrorism, > investigation and intelligence analysis. The thing about ANPR, if used proportionally and with very strict auditing of usage, it could be an extremely valuable tool to keep uninsured cars off the road, something that is in everyones interest, the downside however the colossal erosion of freedom that it represents. Its not the squad car driving round the estates with anpr built into the vehicle thats the problem, but the network of cameras that can (and will be) used to track and carry out surveillance. Rule one, if the information is gathered, it will be used., rule 2 the width of uses will far out grow that which is currently percieved.
From: Maria on 23 Mar 2010 05:55 Steve Firth wrote: > Maria <fallingdown(a)holeinshoe.co.uk> wrote: > >> Several years ago, I had a letter from one of these survey companies >> acting for the government - the letter said that I had been spotted by >> one of those tall blue things by the road, > > I doubt it. What was it then? The journey was late at night - I didn't see any surveys. I go out in the seven-seater so rarely that I even remember the occasion!
From: Adrian on 23 Mar 2010 06:52
"smurf" <smurf(a)smurf.com> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: > But, i think using the technology to nick uninsured drivers, cars with > no tax/mot and banned drivers is an excellent use for the technology "The technology" doesn't do that. It alerts Mr Plod in his stripy Volvo to do that. |