Sunday, August 05, 2007

Automated Photo Enforcement: A Growing Cancer Undermining the Very Fabric of our Civil Liberties



UPDATED: 11 Aug 07, 0730

The more I research the ways and means of automated photo enforcement, the more I realize that these systems, the companies which provide them, the professional lobbyists which 'sell' them, the legislators which allow them, and the 'progressive' judges which re-affirm their 'legality' are each contributing to the erosion of the very principles on which our country was founded.

I think it is with great irony that the city which has historically been known as the 'cradle of liberty'—Philadelphia—is quietly undertaking the wide-spread deployment of these systems throughout the city.


Pennsylvania—known as the Keystone State—is already in the pipeline for the establishment of a state-wide deployment of these automated photo enforcement systems.

Given that states moniker does this suggest that as goes Pennsylvania, so goes the rest of the nation?

I for one, certainly hope not...not in this case.

An automotive journalist friend of mine recently observed that the U.S. has historically been the leading source of manned traffic control technology (i.e.; police radar, police laser) that is deployed throughout the U.S. and abroad.

If find it very telling that the majority of the most successful and experienced companies—some of whom are vying and actively lobbying—for U.S. city/state contracts of automated photo enforcement equipment and services—are foreign.

This is not a mere coincidence:

A number of these foreign or multi-national companies are accessing the sales/income potential of the U.S. market and already have established or are in the process of establishing U.S.-based subsidiary operations in anticipation of an explosive new growth market/demographic—the U.S. taxpayers.

Globalization certainly has its pluses and minuses and I believe, in this case, we are getting a first-hand taste of the societal effects that another country's products/services/societal philosophy can have (Thomas P.M. Barnett calls this content flow and Thomas Friedman addresses this dynamic in his books on globalization), since we [the U.S.] are not the leaders in nor the primary exporters of this technology.

It is an interesting and uncomfortable feeling being on the receiving-end of the societal disruption/perturbation (historically we've been the initiators), something that I believe we are going to have to get used to as time goes on as other countries become more industrialized and internationally-market focused.

And why haven't we been the international market leaders of these related technologies—technologies that have been in deployment around the world for quite some time, now?

I think the answer is pretty simple, really: Heavy-handed surveillance and monitoring [by the Government] wasn't in our country's unique birthing DNA.

In much of the E.U. there are no similar protections/inalienable rights afforded to its citizenry by way of a document similar to our Bill of Rights (read them), such as our 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments and the Freedom of Information Act (read it).

On the contrary, our country and its society were founded upon the very premise of defying oppressive/tyrannical laws and was intentionally established with a series of checks-and-balances to prevent tyranny— including (most importantly) the establishment of our 2nd amendment.

That's why these enforcement tactics have been slow to really take root in our [more enlightened] society and are doing so now, quietly and behind closed doors.

These other countries do not share our same history or societal perspective (many [of them] are rooted in a monarchy).

Even so, there may be a 'perfect storm' in the making. While automated photo/traffic enforcement initiatives have been taking place at the state and local levels, I believe there is [well-intended] tacit support [for this technology and its implementation] by the Federal Government—for the purposes of enhancing and aligning our global security rule-sets with our allies abroad—as a continuing evolution of the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) domestic surveillance initiatives.

While I certainly understand and support the need to enhance our national security at these difficult and challenging times in our nation's history, particularly in a post-9/11 world (where our individual liberties are already under pressure), we need to be especially vigilant towards what kind of society in which we [U.S. citizens] want to create for ourselves to live and at what costs.

It think it would be ironic if we allowed our society to become police-state-like even though we may have 'won' the Cold War—in the name of fighting a globar war on terror and ensuring our safety.

Certainly, photo or video surveillance has demonstrated that it can be an essential tool [to law enforcement and security officials] and I do feel they serve a legitimate purpose (especially at major points of public gathering), however, turning the 'machine' into the 'prosecutor' is clearly crossing the line. Get the picture?

Crafters of our emerging domestic security rule-sets would be well advised to read and understand the concepts of 'soft power' and the appeal of its supporting policies (as articulated clearly in our own global security rule-sets) which inure to the mutual benefit of our global partner nations.

Why should the U.S. taxpayers be afforded anything less in consideration by our own government?

It will serve as our basis of establishing and maintaining mutual trust and understanding.

Here's a notable excerpt from Ron Paul's weekly column (Texas Straight Talk):

"Freedom is not defined by safety. Freedom is defined by the ability of citizens to live without government interference."
Ron Paul, 09 AUG 04

I believe we need to strike a healthy balance between these two potentially conflicting ideals—freedom and safety.

We have arrived at a defining moment in our nation's young history—and our nation's Forefathers are watching [and so is the rest of the world].

In closing, consider this letter from Thomas Jefferson to James Madison entitled: A Little Rebellion Now and Then Is A Good Thing.

Perhaps one does not have to go as far as Jefferson was willing, as we have managed to keep our 1st amendment right to free-speech, press, peaceful assembly, and the ability to petition:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I know we each have a lot of things on our respective plates, but please get involved as a voting citizen to protect the usurpation of our civil liberties, by these mostly foreign multi-national companies, in the name of corporate profit-taking (or implied security).

Let Freedom Ring

And, if you are connected with this nascent U.S. industry in any way: please do not sell-out our country's Founding Principles.

Money may not be at the root of all Evil, but [the love of] money, greed, and power certainly can make good company [to it].
Surely, there are more noble callings.
Veil Guy


Please Join the Call to Action:

  1. Petition to the Government for a Redress of Grievances:
    Stop Photo Enforcement Petition

  2. Consider Joining: National Motorists Association
Related Reading:
  1. Automated Red Light Speed Camera Photo Enforcement: For Safety or Profit?
  2. A Closer Look at Automated Enforcement: Red Light Cameras/Speed on Green Cameras/Radar-LIDAR Speed Cameras
  3. Machine Bears False Witness Against Me
Other Points of View:
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©2007 Veil Corporation. All rights reserved. No part may be duplicated without expressed written permission of the author.

8 comments:

Steve said...

HOw does photo enforcement actaully detect your speed ??
What countermeasures are available??
Great post !!
Steve

Veil Guy said...

Good morning Steve,

As part of this series of articles, I will discuss some of the technical aspects of these systems.

In the meantime, check out Speed Trap Hunter. You can post your question under the appropriate sub-forum section of automated enforcement. We have, at least, one member that I know of which should be able to directly answer your question.

Anonymous said...

This may well be the most important expression, writing you have or will ever write. THE BILL OF RIGHTS is being eroded daily and nobody is listening, thinking, paying attention, to this message.

WAKE UP AMERICANS WAKE UP

Veil Guy said...

wt53051,

Let's hope, my friend, that this expression is the 'Shot heard 'round the world'

Unknown said...

Bob,

I loved the Ron Paul quote, it's just a shame we can't get this guy in office. I'm going to do all I can to spread the link, average America doe not pay attention until it's to late. This is something that needs to be pro-actively looked at immediately.

Veil Guy said...

Mike,

In any event, trust [in] his sound ideas to ultimately win the day...

Anonymous said...

Having lived in Germany for 15 years (U.S. Army, both active and as a federal civilian) I have always had heartburn over these cameras, as they are the primary (and nearly only) means of traffic law enforcement over there. In my experience the cameras cause just as many problems as they supposedly solve. For example, here in the U.S. when you get pulled over by the police it has a tenancy to actually affect your driving (if for only the rest of the day) in the fact that you will drive a lot slower and safer for the rest of the day (in most cases). In addition, being zapped by radar and pulled over is embarrassing, time consuming and an immediate solution to the problem (you were going TOO FAST or you broke another law). With a camera there is little effect, you got your picture taken, well...you may as well continue on speeding since you're gonna pay for it anyway! If you're in a hurry getting your picture taken only serves to piss you off, not slow you down. Did that make the streets any safer? No, of course not, all it did was generate revenue for the state and therein lies the TRUE motivation behind the cameras, an automated method of generating revenue. And here I though the primary reason cops were on the beat was to try to keep the streets safer? How naive I am...

Another problem with traffic cameras is they tend to cause traffic jams and accidents. When a camera is in place and the first individual sees it they immediately slam on the brakes! Now, if he's lucky and nobody is riding his tail then he is probably safe and won't get into an accident (depending on the situation). However, if there are others right behind him and they don't pay attention, wham....and you have a major accident. Also, when the first person slams on their brakes the next person does, and so does the next person, and so on down the line until pretty soon traffic within a mile or two is going way UNDER the speed limit. This tends to happen a lot on German Autobahns where the Polizei set up temporary, unannounced, sting sites. Trust me, I have seen many accidents and traffic jams...this IS the effect. Been there, done that...

My solution? A wacky (at best) one. Well, instead of cameras or more cops on the beat simply charge a "Drive Faster" tax. You are authorized to drive 10 miles over the speed limit without any tickets as long as you pay your yearly $500. Get caught speeding with out it and you go directly to jail. Ok, so this is not a well though out example, but you get the point....just tax us if you're going to do it...don't mask it with these friggin cameras! I know, I know...this won't work because then the speeders will go 15mph faster, and no matter what the number is they will always exceed that too. That's probably true, that's why I didn't design the entire system...there could be provisions in the system to deal with that too...but that is for someone a lot smarter than I am to design. I'm simply giving a short "idea" that could be expanded on. You get the point.

Now, addressing the theory of the cameras being there to track and monitor individuals (big brother), I agree whole heartily with your post. They are completely wrong and I can't see making the American cities anything like London (I believe it's London where they have the most cameras, traffic and non-traffic) and this goes against everything this country was built on and stands for.

Randy

Anonymous said...

I plan on throwing eggs on the little windows where the camera is located so that it blurs it...I may even accidentally back into it with my truck...oops. If everyone threw eggs on these things we could erode the profitability slowly.