[Scan-DC] VSP video cameras on car

[W4NNG]

Interesting system.  Suspect cameras scans compared directly to info in 
laptop DB.  Having a remote 'bad license's DB would generate a lot of RF 
data vs occasional update to laptops 'bad license's DB.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew Clegg" <w4jecom at w4je.com>
To: "Scan DC" <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 11:05 PM
Subject: [Scan-DC] VSP video cameras on car


Yesterday afternoon while driving back to town on I-66, I spotted a Virginia
State Police car with what looked like two security cameras mounted on the
roof. The car was "unmarked," but with flashing lights in the front and back
windows, several antennas, and a uniformed VSP officer driving it. The car
was patrolling the construction zone out near exit 43 (the last exit for Rt
29), where they are adding lanes.

The cameras looked like commercial video surveillance cameras (about the
length of a shoebox and maybe half the cross-section), were mounted on the
top of the roof roughly over the driver's and passenger's seats, and each
was pointed out at an angle of about 45 deg to either side of the car.

This was the first time I had seen anything like it. A Google search pulled
up a news article on an Australian (!) security company's site
(http://www.footprintsecurity.com.au/z_art_080802_Cruiser-Top_Cameras_Make_Police_Snap.php),
showing something like this being used in Maryland, which catches
infractions as minor as failed emissions tests. The article also mentions
that Virginia is using them, but the embedded link is broken.

I wonder if the license plate database is installed on the trooper's laptop,
or whether it has to radio the data back and forth to HQ?

The VSP trooper on I-66 passed me, and I guess I was clean!

Andy

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