Automating a Police State

by Corey Kahler

When my wife received her first red light camera ticket for failure to stop, both she and I immediately said it was impossible.

No, of course it must be a problem with the automation system.

In Seattle, automated tickets come with a video link showing the infraction.  Pulling it up, clear as day, my wife had California-stopped at a right turn - not completing a stop on a red and treating it more like a yield - and had technically run the light.  Ticket paid.

Obviously, most folks hate these cameras, and it's not only because they automatically catch us making the tiny slip-ups that are generally forgivable which we would rather not have on our record.  There are generally two main complaints beyond ego.

The first is that a human police officer should be allowed to make a judgment call on whether a ticket is warranted - the proto-typical, being left off with just a warning.

Additionally, officers performing traffic stops can also discover other things - the smell of drugs, suspicious behavior, broken tail lights.  Granted, red light cameras can take officer's discretion out of a clear cut situation, leading to a reduction in perceived bias or racism.

The second complaint is that automated ticket cameras are there only to make money.  Tickets come in and there's indisputable evidence, so pay up and car patrols have to do less work.

This frustration is similarly aimed at end of the month heavy ticketing or speed traps that most American drivers are always aware of.  Point being - cops are ticketing for their own interests, not the public safety.

I would like to introduce a third complaint: normalization of the automation of a police state.

Consider: Should cameras be allowed to check our tabs as we drive through intersections?  Should it scan every license plate for proof of insurance?  Generally, should your car, regardless of committing a crime, be constantly monitored for adherence to the law?

This isn't to say that automatic cameras haven't done some good.  There are plenty of cases where cameras allow the police to support or deny alibis, document wrecks to determine fault, and see victims in need of assistance.

However, in those cases, the value of the cameras was incidental - not programmatic.

Take it a step further - roads monitored for speed violations based on your car's GPS.  Google Maps and the aggregated data of self-driving vehicles will eventually know the speed limit on most roads.  A GPS-connected vehicle follows your speed just like when you take a jog with a Fitbit.  So why not - if you go too fast for that area - allow you to be immediately reported and ticketed?

For current technology, this is not a huge leap.

While self-driving cars may have some control of the speed and be responsible for it at a later date, in the meantime, what can be said about a system that can track your speed and location and check your records whenever possible?  And if we're fine with automation checking our speed on highways and the completeness of our stops, why not this?  After all, you should always follow the law, right?

Can't we say that automation leads us more towards a police state than actually having more police watching us drive down the street?