[CrackMonkey] I'm taking the train.

[Don Marti]

----- Forwarded message from MCDCFG at aol.com -----

Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 14:56:00 EST
From: MCDCFG at aol.com
Subject: A NEW GAME OF ELECTRONIC TAG
To: MCDCFG at aol.com
Message-ID: <8d.300b929.27ceb1d0 at aol.com>
X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Windows sub 129

I've attached a feature story below discussing license plate recognition 
through digital technology.  It will aid in apprehending suspects and at 
minimum seriously reduce car theft.  You can reach me at 888-301-6271 or by 
email.  Thanks!

Margo  Drgos
Media Relations Associate
Columbia Financial Group

A NEW GAME OF ELECTRONIC TAG
 (Englewood,CO)-PR Newswire News Features-March 1, 2001
The next time a squad car tails you, consider that not only do you fall under 
the watchful eye of the police but so does your license plate-and from 
farther away than you might think.  An Englewood Colorado company, View 
Systems Inc. owns an exclusive license plate recognition technology that can 
quickly link the numbers on your license tag to a database mainframe.
"The proof of evidence will be in our product, literally." Says Gunther Than, 
President and CEO of View Systems, Inc.  "Stolen cars, stolen tags, drivers 
with warrants for their arrest can be identified literally on the run while 
enabling officers' safety." 
Instead of keying the plate information while driving sometimes at high speed 
or on patrol, the system does the checking automatically.
According to www.insure.com, police only apprehend 14 percent of all auto 
thieves.  That's a small slice out of a huge problem.  The FBI estimates that 
Auto theft has grown into a 7.5 billion dollar business.  
"With those figures, apparently something is not working.  Unfortunately 
crime doesn't seem to be diminishing either." Continues Than.
View Systems technology could give police the tool they need to steal 
precious time from thieves.  
Here's how it works: a camera mounted inside the grille of a patrol officer's 
vehicle photographs a license plate digitally and compares existing plates in 
a vehicle information database.  Police can photograph a plate while moving, 
from a bridge, and while parked.  As the squad car rolls up on vehicle, the 
system produces all the information needed about the car, its owner, and 
whether it is warranted.  
"With any new technology that catches people in the act, immediate flags 
waving invasion of privacy fly high.  Privacy has a lot more meaning when 
it's connected to safety." Says Than.
So the next time you see flashing police lights in your rear view mirror, 
smile, you could be on camera-or at least your license plate might be. 

----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
Don Marti              "I've never sent or received a GIF in my life." 
dmarti at zgp.org            -- Bruce Schneier, Secrets and Lies, p. 246.
http://zgp.org/~dmarti/        (Free the Web: http://burnallgifs.org/)