Fredericksburg VA Finds New Uses for Licence Plate Scanners

There is a new effort to collect personal property (vehicle) and real estate taxes in Fredericksburg, VA. Police are using license plate scanning technology to spot residents with unpaid fees and fines, and boot their cars until the fees are settled.

The automatic license plate scanner system that is at the heart of the smartboot technology scans the plates of the cars as the police vehicle passes by them. The plate numbers are matched with a database of known citizens with outstanding payments due, whether for taxes or outstanding parking tickets. If a match is found, the officer is instantly alerted inside the vehicle, he stops, and places one of these boots on your car to immobilize it until you pay the fees owed.

According to the article the city of Fredericksburg has already paid for the system in increased fees collected.

License plate scanning technology is more commonly used by police departments to locate cars that have been reported stolen, as well as drivers who may have suspended driver's licenses, or outstanding criminal court warrants. Government and law enforcement authorities are easily able to identify cars or drivers with legal issues via database matches, they can flag the vehicle in these systems to be notified if it is scanned and located.

Similar systems are in use in Richmond and are becoming increasingly common across Virginia.

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Virginia Driver with License Plate KAB-xxxx - you're on notice!

Here's a trend to be aware of in this age of infinite data sharing: a user generated complaints board about road rage and aggressive driving, where citizens complain about drivers, and name names! (ok, license plates).
The implications of this are potentially interesting with the massive data searching and analysis tools we all have at our fingertips.
At least this person decided not to call the police. Harmless venting, or pointless whining? You decide.
Here's the posting on this alleged aggressive driver in Danville, VA.

Roanoke Police using Automatic License Plate Scanners

Another step in the continuous surveillance mode that increases everyday across Virginia and the nation. Police in Roanoke, VA are now using license plate scanners as noted in this story about locating stolen vehicles.

What is good news for anyone who's car has been stolen is very bad news for anyone who happens to have an outstanding criminal warrant or suspended driver's license.

How these license plate video scanners work is they literally scan and check the license plate of every car within range of the video camera, mounted on a police car. They work while the car is either stationary or moving, and can check thousands of plates per hour.

The plate numbers are cross checked with a computer in the police cruiser that has a frequently updated database of license plates, and their owners. If the owner of the car is known to have an outstanding warrant, or a suspended license according to the Virginia DMV database, the police officer is instantly alerted, and your car is pulled over and you are arrested.

This technology is cheaper and more widespread everyday. If you local Virginia police department isn't using it yet, they likely will be soon. And many of these databases are nationwide, and linked together. So if you happen to have a warrant from 10 years ago in California for missing a court date, or skipping a court ordered payment, you are at risk of arrest at anytime, just for driving down the street.

Please contact us for help with any old criminal warrant, or if you've been caught driving after your license has been suspended. We may be able to help.