AZ ACTIVISTS PLAN PHOTO RADAR PROTEST

Fraud and deceit alleged on the part of camera operators

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, Aug 20, 2008 (Direct news media distribution)—- Local activists will soon express their disapproval with Redflex Group and American Traffic Solutions, Inc., two suppliers of automated traffic-enforcement equipment to the State of Arizona and various municipalities.

WHEN: Friday, August 22^nd – 5:00 PM

WHERE: N.E. corner, Scottsdale Road and Thomas Road, Scottsdale, AZ.

WHY: CameraFRAUD.com, a web blog detailing the activities and politics behind the cameras, is inviting the public to join other valley activists.

Recently revealed information shows that Redflex Group and the Department of Public Safety may have knowingly conspired to use non-certified radar guns in at least two of their mobile van units, a move that prompted the agency to temporarily remove the vans from service.

Redflex had offered to refund up to 4,800 citations that were issued, but then later agreed with DPS that such a refund wasn’t necessary—calling the breach of due process an “honest mistake,” according to the Easy Valley Tribune¹.

In July, Redflex was forced to terminate an employee who was discovered by the Arizona Secretary of State’s office to have broken no less than four Arizona laws, including using an official notary stamp to falsify documents relating to traffic citations².

Those attending the protest are advised to bring plenty of drinking water as temperatures are expected to reach 103 degrees.

Redflex Group is a privately-held company based in Australia performing law-enforcement activities in the United States³.

American Traffic Solutions, Inc., is headquartered in Scottsdale AZ, along with the company’s Orwellian “Global Network Operations Center,” which is “linked to all active cameras and data collection devices worldwide”⁴.

CameraFRAUD.com, founded in 2008, is a non-partisan group dedicated to “Slowing, Stopping, and Reversing the Theft of our Privacy.” They can be reached online at http://www.CameraFRAUD.com. Limited media interviews or questions may be requested via email at media@CameraFRAUD.com.

1. http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/123214

2. http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/24/2464.asp

3. http://www.redflex.com/html/holdings/index.php

4. http://www.atsol.com/about/AboutUs.html

Security officials to scan D.C. area license plates

From the AP / WTOP:

Homeland security officials in the Washington area plan to dramatically expand the use of automated license plate readers to prevent possible terrorist attacks.

Officials from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia have agreed to install 200 license plate readers on police vehicles, at airports and along roads. The plan announced Friday will be funded by federal homeland security grants for the area.

[…]

The readers will scan every license plate that passes by and will run the numbers through federal criminal and terrorist databases.

New York officials recently said they plan to scan license plates of all cars entering Manhattan.

If cameras prevented crime, we wouldn’t see all the footage on the nightly news of the armed gunman robbing the local convenient store. In the best of scenarios, camera footage can be used to investigate crimes that have already occurred. A terrible example of such is the well-known footage of the 9/11 hijackers walking through airport security.

Lets analyze the flawed logic behind DHS’ license plate scanners:

1. Terrorists do bad things.
2. Cameras can scan license plates and compare the data to terrorist databases.
3. Law enforcement can catch terrorists.

Did you catch it? The break in logic happens somewhere between items 1 and 2; if there’s a “terrorist database,” and we know who the terrorists are (and, apparently have their license plate number already), why are we waiting for the plate scanners to pick them up? Why aren’t warrants being issued for the arrest of these suspected terrorists?

Instead of being tough on terrorism, DHS is acting like a kid in a candy store: the gobstoppers and gumballs of technology are sweet and taste really good, but are actually nothing but a bunch of empty calories. And the taxpayers are getting stuck with the cavities.

What is “Fraud”?

Wikipedia defines fraud as “deception made for personal gain.” Websters’ defines it a little more potently: “deceit, trickery… intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right.”

No matter what your views are on photo radar, one thing is for sure: Redflex has perverted the truth by falsifying speed camera documents. In fact, they were so blatent about such forgery and fraud, Redflex was called on the carpet by the Arizona Secretary of State’s office just last month:

“Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer last week confirmed that documents used to convict motorists of speeding in Lafayette, Louisiana contained elements that had been falsified. Brewer revoked the license of Cheryl Krough, notary public for photo enforcement vendor Redflex after concluding that she violated four Arizona laws while purporting to certify a speed camera deployment form for use in official hearings.

The article continues:

At issue was the form used in an attempt to convict motorists Mark and Phil Abshire of speeding on October 10, 2007. Krough signed this document, certifying that van driver Scott Michael Bernard had sworn to the truth of the document’s contents in her presence. The secretary of state’s office saw no evidence that this ever took place.

“It cannot be determined whether the signer was in the notary’s presence when the notary notarized the form,” Cota wrote.

Krough, who worked in the Scottsdale, Arizona office for Redflex, was 1400 miles away from the Redflex employee who drove the van that day. The secretary of state’s office expressed a certain amount of indignation that in response to an investigation of the matter by the Arizona Attorney General’s office, Krough, “wrote a short response to the complaint on a post it note.”

Who’s watching the watchers? Those we’re entrusting to enforce the law are breaking it, and when caught doing so try to explain away their actions on a post-it note!

Perhaps it’s time to cover the camera lenses with post it notes. What’s good for the goose is….

Valley Activists Hang “Fraud” Signs on Photo Radar Equipment

This is only the beginning.

Busybodies Try to Revive the 55

From USAToday:

“…with high fuel costs reviving memories of the energy crisis of that decade, proposals to bring back the “double nickel” or something like it are emerging, with backers saying federal speed limits could save fuel, money and perhaps lives.”

We’re from the Federal Government, and we just want to help (take away your money).

Follow Up: Plate Recognition Technology

From AZFAMILY.com:

“Phoenix police officers are patrolling streets with a new secret weapon… It’s an automated license plate reader. Cameras mounted on top of police cars are taking pictures of plates, then comparing them to a database of stolen vehicles. They can read up to 50,000 plates in only a few hours.

Phoenix PD is vague about the automated reader’s capabilities as to whether they are only using it with a stolen vehicle database, or with other “watchlists” such as expired tags, expired registrations, outstanding parking tickets, etc.

Thanks to Mike for bringing this article to our attention in the comments section.

Is plate recognition technology next in the Valley?

From The Telegraph:

The latest development in CCTV is the increased use of automatic number plate recognition systems, which read number-plates and search databases for signs that a vehicle has been used in crime.

A national automatic number plate recognition system is maintained by the Association of Chief Police Officers along motorways and main roads. Every number plate picked up by the system is stored in a database with date, time and location for two years.

With almost every intersection in the valley sporting photo radar and red light cameras, it’s feasible for those systems to be linked in the future to a database that logs every license plate read – even those not snapped for a violation. Recent information trickling out of Redflex and ATS indicates that their systems actually record video of all “violations.”

Can you imagine receiving a notice in the mail saying you drove too much last Tuesday? Or how about a kindly reminder sent to you asking you to not drive Scottsdale Road as often? Such scenarios are quite plausible under Arizona’s open embrace with the surveillence society mantra.

State’s photo radar vans back citing speeders

From http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/123214:

In a letter earlier this month to DPS, Redflex President Karen Finley offered to refund any fines paid on citations issued by the two units using the noncertified radar guns – but only if DPS asked. Warriner said about 4,800 citations were issued since the units went on the road in November.

But Finley argued, and DPS agreed, that’s not necessary. In her letter to DPS, Finley said using uncertified radar guns was an “honest mistake.”

Honest mistake? Oh, like driving 46 in a 35 and getting snapped by a private contractor’s photo scam van? That’s an honest mistake. Issuing citations using uncalibrated, uncertified equipment is illegal and fraudulent.

But why are we surprised? DPS is clearly sending a message, and that message is: “There’s no law we won’t break to enforce the law!”

CameraFraud.com – The Beginning

Mission purpose: To slow, stop, and reverse the theft of our privacy.

This site was founded in response to the rapid increase in automated “traffic enforcement devices” in the Phoenix-metro area. We are alarmed and outraged that our state’s Chief Exec. is blatently using photo enforcement devices to help correct a 1.3 Billion dollar deficit.

Top Five Reasons Why We’re Opposed to Photo Radar and Red-Light Cameras:

1. Privacy. We don’t believe the role of government is to spy on its citizens, no matter how well intentioned such a program might be. “Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither,” said Ben Franklin, and we’re inclined to agree.
2. Safety. That fancy electronic box with a camera and flash bulb might catch a speeder or red-light runner, but it won’t pull over the speeder or red-light runner that’s drunk/high that heading towards your car at the next intersection. That’s why we have police officers.
3. Sovereignty. Imagine waking up one morning to see this Australian police car in your rear-view mirror on the Loop 101. Imagine the foreign-born officer walking up to your window and demanding your information from you. Then, imagine your outrage when he has the nerve to write YOU a citation, only to find out that your government has outsourced law enforcement to another nation.Such a scenario isn’t a dystopian future, but rather business-as-usual for the cities and state agencies that rely on Rexflex Group, the “Umbrella Corporation” of traffic control systems. And yes, they’re an Australian company.
4. Due Process. When a police officer stops you and writes a ticket, he has to verify the person’s identity and make sure he gets his paperwork right in order for the ticket to stand up in court. In addition, you’re personally “served” the complaint by the police officer.With automated enforcement, cities and the state send you a copy of the ticket via mail, and according to their own laws such a mailing is not proper service. They instead hope you’ll incriminate yourself by responding to the complaint.Lets be clear: unless you voluntarily waive your rights and respond to some random solicitation in the mail, the only form of proper service for a photo radar ticket is to be served by a licensed and bonded process server. In fact, the notices sent in the mail usually threaten you into compliance, saying that if you don’t respond, you’ll have to pay for your own service if they choose to hire a process server!
5. Cronyism. We’re all for free-market capitalism, but by commercializing law enforcement activities and awarding no-bid contracts to such companies, we’re rewarding mediocrity. Today it’s “just” traffic citations, tomorrow it could be Blackwater taking over the functions of the Mesa Police Department. When corporations and governments conspire against the will of the people, rights are lost and freedoms are destroyed.Let the Camera rEVOLt begin!