Bingo Hunting: Running a license plate...

http://patc.com/weeklyarticles/license-plate.shtml

As law enforcement has become more technologically advanced, more and more agencies have added mobile data terminals or computers to their law enforcement vehicles. Wireless technology has given officers access to all types of information at the touch of a button, greatly enhancing the ability to fight crime. The enhanced technology has created new strategies by some officers. An example is provided by what some officers refer to as “BINGO HUNTING.” Essentially “BINGO HUNTING” involves randomly observing license plates while on routine patrol, inputting the data from the license plate into the computer and BINGO, finding out that the vehicle is unregistered, stolen, or maybe involved in some other criminal activity.


...........In rejecting Bjerke’s argument the court concluded: “We do not believe that either Bjerke or the public at large has any reasonable expectation of privacy in a motor vehicle registration license plate. We reach this conclusion in view of the fact that such plates and the information behind them are within the control and custody of the state through the Registry of Motor Vehicles. We do not believe that either Bjerke or the public at large has an expectation of privacy from the state when it is well known to all that the state is the very body that issues, controls, and regulates motor vehicle registration license plates. Furthermore it seems plain to us that there can be no expectation of privacy in one's license plate when it hangs from the front and the rear of one's vehicle for all the world to see. This conclusion is consistent with other jurisdictions that have pondered this issue.” v

Sal wrote:You seem quite content with the police state when it suits your narrative.

My concern is the militarization of the police (SWAT) and the obnoxious habit of shooting unarmed people and getting away with it.

A traffic stop for an infraction of the law is not the place to dig in your heels and show the cops who's boss. In that case they are just doing their routine jobs. I felt in this case he disrespected the officer because she was a woman...and he tried to intimidate her.

I felt in this case he disrespected the officer because she was a woman...and he tried to intimidate her.

Sure, nothing worse than a citizen exercising their absolute right to have a supervisor at a traffic stop.....unless it is one of those uppity black people, who are important and understand the law, and there is that poor white women needing T's protection from the black man.......Jeez T can you talk out of anymore sides of your face.   The officer completely dropped the ball and did not follow her training, she was suppose to at the time a citizen thinks an officer is outside their legal authorization and asks for a supervisor, to quit arguing, go back to her squad and call it in.......this forum is a repository for ignorance and people just have to engage their brain......as soon as the man asked for the supervisor when he was not satisfied with her justification for the stop this non problem would have gone away with a simple....yes sir....I will return to my squad and call a supervisor and we can wait for their arrival......done....the officer takes control of the stop.....that is how they are trained at PTI and this officer was more concerned with her authority and was still escalating the situation when other officers arrived.....guarantee she will get a slip in her file.....guaranteed.   You either follow training protocol or you do not.  This had nothing to do with him being a commissioner or the strong stand he took to speak with a supervisor.

HE REFUSED TO SHOW HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE. HE IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO DO THAT!

You all go too far w/ this racial shit. Every stop on a black person is not racially motivated. I have agreed many are racially motivated but not every one. You start losing credibility when you over do it.

Vikingwoman wrote:You all go too far w/ this racial shit. Every stop on a black person is not racially motivated. I have agreed many are racially motivated but not every one. You start losing credibility when you over do it.

The windows were tinted very dark legal, who knows but dark enough that you could not tell the race.

Again, just because some folks start a thread implying this had anything to do with race.....it does not.   It is simple.  Every citizen has an absolute right to question the authority of any officer by asking for his supervisor on a routine traffic stop.  If there are exigent circumstances, that request does NOT have to honored.  Absent those circumstances officers are trained to call for supervision.  This issue is color blind.  All citizens have this right.  I am unaware of any police department who does not mandate calling supervision when a citizen requests the same.........done.....nothing to do with race, tinted windows, black men, power positions, or a female police officer.   Everything to do with due process under the law......which must be color blind.

Who here questioned his right to a supervisor? Not me. I question his refusal to provide his DL. Why do you keep on w/ the supervisor crap?

Has soon as he requested a supervisor she called for one. He should have provided his DR while waiting for the supervisor. 

I think Mr. MAY would love to be on CNN...claiming racial profiling. Of course after measuring the tint on his windows......he knew there was no way to tell his race.

Don't know if Pensacola PD has them yet ... probably not ... but they now have license plate scanners they are installing on patrol cars. An Officer doesn't even have to call-in or input the information.

Personally ... I think display of license plate should be voluntary. No reason any Officer has to know my name and address before s/he stops me. If the Officer has cause to stop me for some violation .... they can check my registration at that point.

Besides ... license plate data is public-information ... anybody can take your license plate number & find out your name and address. Can't do it as quickly as police can (unless they are signed up to a pay-for private information database) but it can be done.

I don't have to wear my SSN on my shirt when I go out in public so any government Agent can check & see if I filed my taxes this year .... why should I have to do it with my vehicle? As to stolen vehicles .... well, let those who are concerned about that voluntarily pay for & affix a license plate to their car .... but for those who don't want to, they shouldn't have to.

(Oh .. .and as to the the traffic stop of the good County Commissioner. He was waaaay out of line. I know if it had been me I'd have been in cuffs within minutes of the second Officer arriving.)

Good analysis until you got to the guy being a county commissioner.  Let me tell you about my daughter.   She is an Assistant States Attorney.  She carries a badge.  She is well known in her community, but a young officer alleged she was going 11 miles over the limit less than ten blocks from her home.  She gives him her license and not once does she mention she is a SA.  When he brings the citation back with her license, she signs the citation and is placing the license back in her purse where she carries her badge, and he goes.....OH CHIT....are you an officer, no sir I am an assistant states attorney in this county, and I live in the community 10 blocks away, OH CHIT why didn't you say something, and she calmly said because if I did I would be in trouble and you would be in trouble....issue the ticket, and I will pay the fine......needless to say the rookie got roasted at the station and by fellow officers, but when she saw him again she assured him he acted properly.

Good police work make citizens safe and the community respects the police.  sloppy ill trained officers create the problems we have today in America.

2seaoat wrote:Good analysis until you got to the guy being a county commissioner.  Let me tell you about my daughter.   She is an Assistant States Attorney.  She carries a badge.  She is well known in her community, but a young officer alleged she was going 11 miles over the limit less than ten blocks from her home.  She gives him her license and not once does she mention she is a SA.  When he brings the citation back with her license, she signs the citation and is placing the license back in her purse where she carries her badge, and he goes.....OH CHIT....are you an officer, no sir I am an assistant states attorney in this county, and I live in the community 10 blocks away, OH CHIT why didn't you say something, and she calmly said because if I did I would be in trouble and you would be in trouble....issue the ticket, and I will pay the fine......needless to say the rookie got roasted at the station and by fellow officers, but when she saw him again she assured him he acted properly.

Good police work make citizens safe and the community respects the police.  sloppy ill trained officers create the problems we have today in America.

What does this story have to do w/ the issue at hand? Personally,I don't know how you could even know whether the officer got roasted at the station? You never miss an opportunity to bring up your daughter as if that gives you some credibility, I notice.The officer in this case acted appropriately. Lumon Mays was the jerk and the officer had no duty just to retreat and obey like a little puppy dog. I think you made that protocol up.