Even if our agencies were to authorize the collection of all this information, given the fact that our criminal investigations divisions are taxed to the limit as it were,
See, that's the thing. Once you buy the cameras and the software -- bundled together by the companies at a nice discount -- the only other things you need are a data storage unit, and a geek to write a search program.
The potential power of this system far outstrips any cost. All you have to do is go to a board and tell them that the system costs only a touch more than the Dash-Cam set-up that's already standard equipment, with the additional perk of being able to pin-point damned near every vehicle in your jurisdiction once a shift. Three times a day -- minimum -- your department will know where 90% to 99% of the vehicles in their patrol area are located.
... what exactly would you, I, or any other person with access to this system do with a log of the location of 720,000 vehicles per shift???
Wrong question. You should be asking, "What
wouldn't be done?"
Enter a search by name, and the system will detail each and every time a vehicle registered to that name was within scanning distance of a cruiser from that time of check to time of program inception.
Enter a search by location, and the system will detail every vehicle that passed within scanning distance of any cruiser located near that location.
Enter a search by date/time, and the system will detail the locations where every car within scanning distance of an equipped cruiser is at that time.
Oh, I am sure that the number of cases cleared will skyrocket. That doesn't make it right.
If the government were to mandate that each and every person in the United States enter their fingerprints into AFIS, the crime clearance rate would skyrocket -- but this is the United States and our citizens have a right to privacy, and a right not to be included on any lists.
If the government were to mandate that each and every person in the United States have their DNA logged into a national database, the crime clearance rate wold skyrocket -- but, again, this is the United States and the Gov't needs to bugger off until they can articulate a reason for investigating a citizen.
So, until such time as I am investigated for a crime -- as long as I am an innocent private citizen -- where, when and how many times I drive my car
is none of the Governments business.
LawDog