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Obama Recovery Act money financing license plate readers Texas told feds were illegal here

The use by municipalities of license plate readers for traffic enforcement seems strange and premature to me and I don't quite understand why it's considered legal. Reports Forrest Wilder at the Texas Observer:license plate readers have only caught on in the U.S. in the past few years. Expense has been one barrier; each unit costs at least $17,000. President Barack Obama?s Recovery Act, though, is helping law enforcement purchase the equipment. In Texas, 14 agencies ? from the tiny Penitas Police Department in the Rio Grande Valley to the Precinct 7 Constable in Harris County ? have used over $1.2 million in stimulus funds to buy automated license plate readers, according to figures maintained by the governor?s office. Innovators in law enforcement ? egged on by the technology?s vendors ? are putting their new toys to creative use...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on July 16, 2010 (boomark / email).