Article: German court rules against Garda scanners

Seth Brundle

from here...

German court rules against Garda scanners

DAVID LABANYI
GERMANY'S FEDERAL Constitutional Court has ruled that laws used by police to automatically scan car number plates to search for stolen vehicles violate privacy rights.
In a statement yesterday, the court says that the current rules lack "a clear definition as to when data may be collected and of the scope of data use".
The news comes as An Garda confirmed that it will shortly place a tender for 100 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems to detect stolen, untaxed and uninsured cars. The ANPR systems can also be used for speed enforcement and will complement the eight new mobile speed detection "Gatso" vans which have been ordered by the Garda and also the privatised speed camera which was recently approved by the Cabinet.
Gardaí expect each division will be given three mobile ANPR units with a number of additional units reserved for enforcement in high activity areas.
The ANPR system uses two small in-car infrared cameras to scan the number plates of passing cars. It cross-checks these numbers against a file of stolen, missing, uninsured and untaxed vehicles, as well as those associated with persistent offending, which is downloaded daily from the Garda's Pulse database. If a number plate from this file is identified, the system alerts gardaí, who can then intercept the vehicle.
ANPR units can monitor number plates on vehicles travelling in both directions and British registration plates.
The Garda have declined to comment on the cost of the ANPR project although The Irish Times understands that individual ANPR units cost between €40,000 to €70,000.
© 2008 The Irish Times

Can our government come up with an idea that can actually work?

javaboy

kbannon wrote: »

from here...


Can our government come up with an idea that can actually work?

I think they are actually a great idea as so many cars that are stolen etc. only get pulled if they are driving erratically. If a reg that doesn't actually match any on the naughty list is detected, isn't it just automatically discarded? Don't see how this violates privacy laws

What's the difference between this and an over enthusiastic Garda going through the same process by hand?

Anan1

a) This isn't Germany.

b.) We presumably don't in any case have the same rules as the Germans.

gurramok

Works fine in the UK also!

andrewh5

Anan1 wrote: »

a) This isn't Germany.

b.) We presumably don't in any case have the same rules as the Germans.

Exactly and the UK has had ANPR in operation for years now and very successfully too. Untaxed cars, no insurance, no MOT(NCT here) & flagged for possible use in crime or stolen can all be flagged and stopped extremely quickly. What is more, cars without insurance or tax are seized on the spot.

Bendihorse

They use that system in the UK to spot untaxed cars in passing traffic amonst other things... Seems like a good idea (except my tax has just run out!)

jimmycrackcorm

I'm astonished at the cost of these as i know of commercial car park systems that are a fraction of the same that do the equivalent reg plate scans.

Guy:Incognito

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I'm astonished at the cost of these as i know of commercial car park systems that are a fraction of the same that do the equivalent reg plate scans.

That just scans the reg though, then theres the whole access to the database and checking syetem which I assume costs a lot more to install and maintain.

JHMEG

German court rules against Garda scanners - in Germany

BRT1

Well nobody seems to know that:

- all car journeys are saved for 2 years
- cameras also take pictures of vehicles (and automatically of the front passengers also!) and save them for 1 month as far as I know.

Do you all really agree to this Big Brother stuff?

Ask yourself, why is it that other countries do well without it (Germany in this case but you hardly find so many ANPR cameras on the continent. Do you feel unsafe there?). Untaxed and stolen vehicles are no point of discussion there, so not more of a problem then in the UK or IRL.
The Germans have just got rid of the Stasi. Do we really want it to return from the west through the backdoor?

BRT

Absurdum

In Germany, ressurecting zombie threads is punishable by death.

Alanstrainor

Absurdum wrote: »

In Germany, ressurecting zombie threads is punishable by death.

That about sums it up!