If You're Driving A Car In LA, You're Part Of An "Ongoing Criminal Investigation"
Apparent LAPD rule: If you don't have probable cause, just make it up.
At BoingBoing, Cory Doctorow writes:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is trying to figure out what the LAPD is doing with the mountains (and mountains) of license-plate data that they're harvesting in the city's streets without a warrant or judicial oversight. As part of the process, they've asked the LAPD for a week's worth of the data they're collecting, and in their reply brief, the LAPD argues that it can't turn over any license-plate data because all the license-plates they collect are part of an "ongoing investigation," because every car in Los Angeles is part of an ongoing criminal investigation, because some day, someone driving that car may commit a crime.As EFF's Jennifer Lynch says, "This argument is completely counter to our criminal justice system, in which we assume law enforcement will not conduct an investigation unless there are some indicia of criminal activity."
They're also listening to your cell phone calls with the StingRay. Oh, but you're not the targeted party, so don't worry about the fact that your calls are routed through this mobile cell tower along with those of the drug dealers they're tracking.
JD at March 18, 2015 10:03 AM
You know if you're innocent, you have nothing to hide, amirite??
drcos at March 18, 2015 12:54 PM
Have you purchased the appropriate carbon credits for the exhaust that your car is spewing? California wants to know. Very keenly.
Cousin Dave at March 18, 2015 2:05 PM
LA pisses me off greatly when it comes to cars.
I just got a ticket because my tags where expired. I PROVED they weren't because I wrote to them to check my registration with the DMV. They wrote back that I was correct but if I failed to provide enough visibility regarding my tags (wtf does that mean). I could either pay or go to court.
Great take time off work to drive 2 hours to wait in court to fight a ticket. I'm gonna have to end up paying the ticket.
My friend in Scotland laughed and said they don't need "tax discs" anymore. Thought the term was cute.
Ppen at March 18, 2015 3:48 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2015/03/if-youre-drivin.html#comment-5911243">comment from PpenSame thing happened to me, Ppen. I also sent them a letter -- complete with photos of both my tags on my car and the registration...paid in June or July and received in August. I got the ticket months afterward, in October. Despite my proving my car actually was registered, they said I had to pay the ticket. Thieves, scumbags.
Amy Alkon
at March 18, 2015 11:28 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2015/03/if-youre-drivin.html#comment-5911251">comment from Amy Alkonhttps://twitter.com/amyalkon/status/532651624628383744
Amy Alkon
at March 18, 2015 11:35 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2015/03/if-youre-drivin.html#comment-5911255">comment from Amy AlkonHere's the woman in charge of LADOT.
https://twitter.com/seletajewel
Your comment, Ppen, reminded me of what a screwing this was. Just tweeted this to her:
https://twitter.com/amyalkon/status/578445039228960768
Amy Alkon
at March 18, 2015 11:38 PM
Welcome to Ferguson Amy. I guess you can wear a 'black lives matter' t-shirt now. This type of casual theft is exactly what the DOJ report called racism.
Ben at March 19, 2015 7:09 AM
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