It's possible for the police to attach a GPS tracking device your vehicle, enabling them to track your every move. That is unless you’re the police, their exempt, just ask the mayor.
In an article in the NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News
on Thursday, January 4, 2007, they referenced a newspaper article from Fitchburg Massachusetts. The police chief, speaking about a recent agreement between the city and the police union said, “Police supervisors and dispatchers will be allowed to track the whereabouts of cruisers as part of the new three-year contract agreement between the patrolmen's union”.
The Fitchburg Massachusetts agreement goes on to say, the information gathered by the devices "may be used to inform or counsel an employee, but there shall be no disciplinary record kept of that informing or counseling."
What do they mean the city will "be allowed" to track their own vehicles and employees?
In other agencies, officers have disabled GPS units on their patrol cars so supervisors can’t track their location. Things like, are they in their assigned area when you call for help, are they off seeing a girlfriend, or are they speeding or violating other vehicle laws.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could violate a traffic law, and know you would only be informed of the violation, or counseled, and there would be no disciplinary action or record kept. This would be like cops only being allowed to issuing warning tickets, then destroying the ticket after it was written.
It seems police have an unlimited right to use technology to track the movement of citizens in their everyday life, but police don't even like when other cops watch them. They feel their exempt from being watched or disciplined for their actions.
This continues to enforce the fact that police today are exempt from many laws.
E. Jay Fleming
Speaker
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
www.LEAP.cc
Sir Robert Peel, Policing Philosophy.
"To recognize always that the power of the police to fulfill their functions
and duties is dependent on public approval of their existence, actions,
and behavior, and on their ability to secure and maintain public respect."
