A new law-enforcement system, called BootFinder, employing a $25,000 camera that takes more than one thousand photos a minute, can scan cars' license plates against a database of unpaid fines — from major debtors to those who kept the latest Rachel Ray cookbook out a day late. For those identified, the city has the option to tow their cars, and auction them if they haven't been ransomed in 10 days. A similar system in New Haven, CT collected more than a half-million dollars for the city. It's a dicey proposition, one we think could be stopped by an upcoming challenge from a citizen claiming illegal search and seizure. We'll have to get the Jalopnik legal team on this one.
Arlington, VA Uses Cameras to Tow for Overdue Library Books [The Newspaper.com via TechDirt]
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New Smart Box Can Warn Drivers, Issue Tickets [internal]