Warning: Homeland Security set to purchase license plate tracking

Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have solicited for Commercial-Off-The-Shelf technology that allows DHS employees to track citizens by using license plate tracking readers on government vehicles in a system known as the National License Plate Recognition database (NLPR).

DHS/ICE intend to track license plate numbers that are pass through the camera’s range, or are entered into the database by repossession companies and others. This data is then shared with all law enforcement, as there are no limits placed within the solicitation.

Law enforcement officers will be able to search the NLPR database, presumably for an investigation, however, safeguards are frequently bypassed with regards to LEO access to LEDS/NCIC access. License plate tracking will be the next LEO abuse

The officers will be able to determine where and when the vehicle has traveled, and is touted as providing an extra layer of “Officer Safety” to allow for arrests away from a suspect’s residence. It is further espoused that this will reduce needed man-hours to conduct surveillance.

LICENSE PLATE TRACKING

Presumably, this is just for Homeland Security. But the truth of the matter, this system is to be used by every law enforcement agency within the US.

Data will be compiled from metropolitan areas, which can be searched from Smartphones, such as the Android/iPhone/BlackBerry that are currently in use by DHS/ICE, thus allowing for license plate pictures to be taken, and uploaded – cross referenced and then alert the officer/agent of a positive match.

While the government would insist on Originating Agency Identifiers (ORI), the solicitions requests:

The Government would prefer the ability of the NLPR data service to allow communication between users (anonymously, via alias, or with full identity) to share information amongst the User group based on specific “Hot-List” “Target Vehicle” records.

And DHS/ICE would like to keep some agencies out of the loop, by being able to conduct searches anonymously so that other law enforcement agencies may not have access.

Local police departments have been using plate readers, primarily to locate stolen vehicles or absconders from justice. There is even a Grant Assistance for agencies to purchase license plate readers from ELSAG North America.

The following is a partial lists of agencies that currently use plate readers:

• Denver and Colorado Springs, CO;
• South Portland, MN;
• Gwinnett, Douglas and Cherokee counties in Georgia;
• Clinton, CT
• Newark, Albany County, N.Y
• Ann Arbor, MI
• Portsmouth, VA
• Norwalk, CT
• Louisville, KY

All of these agencies, and about 40 more, will be adding their photographs to the next monster database.

Do not kid yourself. This is tracking of an individual that can be accessed at a whim. Yearly, officers are terminated for accessing the LEDS/NCIC database for looking into the histories of ex-lovers, future spouses, and potential sons/daughters-in-law.

And with license plate tracking toy (not a tool), they will know where you are, as long as you have driven into the cross hairs of this new weapon for tyranny.