Dear John: Think twice before picking up that prostitute in Sanford [Big Brother Going Wild]

Orlando Sentinel ^ | 10/15/2013 | Amy Pavuk

[markomalley]

Dear John: If you were hoping to have a quick "date" with the woman standing on the street corner in Sanford, you may want to think again.

Starting this week, the Sanford Police Department will send "Dear John" letters to registered owners of vehicles spotted lingering in areas known for prostitution.

(snip)

Sanford police said Monday that letters will only be generated when an officer is confident the driver is circling the block looking for a prostitute, and not, for example, driving around lost.

Automated license-plate readers placed on patrol vehicles will be used to capture images of the suspect vehicles, police spokeswoman Shannon Cordingly said.

(snip)

Police agencies in Baltimore and Oakland, Calif., are among those that send out "Dear John" letters.

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TOPICS: Extended News; Government; US: Florida
KEYWORDS:

[markomalley]

Click on the thumbnail above to see a sample letter

So they are using those automated plate readers to track the movements of citizens...advertised initially to be able to more easily track criminals, they will be used to track people who are in the wrong place.

I love this: Sanford police said Monday that letters will only be generated when an officer is confident the driver is circling the block looking for a prostitute, and not, for example, driving around lost.

No definition of what makes an officer "confident" -- just the standard, "trust us, we're the government and we're here to help" line.

How would you like to be the happy recipient of a letter like that? Or...how would you like to respond to your wife when she opens up such a letter?

I know, there's plenty of you who will say, "if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about..."

I remember back a long time ago when this country used to be the bastion of freedom and where you were innocent until proven guilty. I wonder what ever happened to that country.

[melsec]

Sounds something akin to Pre-Crime from the movie Minority Report. Can’t wait to see the first law suit!

Mel

[ken5050]

Many years ago, think it was the early 60’s..United Airlines had a promotion, “Take Me Along.” (featuring he very catchy title song from the Broadway Musical) If a businessman bought a round trip first class ticket, he got a free ticket for his wife..IOW “Take her Along”..it was a very successful campaign..generated lots of business...until some idiot in the PR department came up with the brilliant idea of sending a little gift and note home to the wives..hoping that they enjoyed their little min-vacation, and that’d they fly United again. So imagine what happened when several corporate CEOs came home and found their wives demanding an explanation. The campaign ended, there were lawsuits..several people got fired, and several divorces resulted..

[kearnyirish2]

Newark NJ used to publish the names of people caught soliciting prostitutes in an attempt to deter the “Johns”; combined with a poster campaign in which large posters in those areas proclaimed “Sex with an infected prostitute can give you AIDS”, it seemed to have moved it deeper underground. It used to be very open at some intersections; now I rarely see them.

[DeaconRed]

I live near there. The area they are talking about is not an area where anybody with half a brain would want to be in.
The so called ladies are pure scanks. Guaranteed to give you a STD.
Anybody that goes there is really, really, really missing some crucial cards in their deck.

[RightFighter]

Notice this from the top of the letter:

You’re Vehicles License Plate: YF2VV

They can’t even get the basics right on this letter. It should read:

Your Vehicle’s License Plate: YF2VV

[Kakaze]

letters will only be generated when an officer is confident the driver is circling the block looking for a prostitute, ,/i>

Or, unless it's the end of the month and a quota needs to be met.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Will there be signs?

WARNING!
Entering Prostitution Zone
Do not linger

---

Leaving Prostitution Zone
Resume Lingering

[Vaquero]

So I go to the repair shop and pick up a part for my whirlpool range. It is in an area frequented by hookers. And my house is mailed a notice saying I was most likely frequenting prostitutes and my wife read this?
LAWSUIT? Heck this town is looking at losing their shirt.

Dad was a cop at the 41st precinct in Bronx. Fort Apache it was called. . It was on Simpson street. The hookers plied their trade right there. Because it was safe from violence cause the cop shop was there to protect them

[clee1]

Can’t wait for the first lawsuits on this one.... How many innocent men are gonna get hauled into divorce court over this?

[IamConservative]

Bit of a tangent, but these license plate readers are everywhere, literally since they are affixed to patrol cars. License plates use reflective paint much like lane markers. I've read that you can coat your license plate with a clear coat of flat enamel and foil the reader. Looks the same to the naked eye.

One of the various types of car mounted readers below. You will also see them mounted to fixed positions on street corners in urban areas.

[yldstrk]

yeah the cops have to have something to do while they are ignoring all the people murdering each other

[dinodino]

What, did they run out of dogs to shoot?

[Popman]

Back in the day, many moons ago...I was a sales rep for a soft drink company...part of my territory was an area were the “ladies” plyed their trade...I got to know many of them by name because they would always ask me if I wanted some “sugar” and we would banter back and forth when I stopped in the retail businesses...

I’d probably would have generated a dozen “Dear John” letters every month...

...and no I didn’t ever get hooked up...I like being disease free..!!!

[duckman]

Didn’t Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia do something similar, in NYC, back in the 1930’s?.

[healy61]

A little computer work and internet search can provide letters to city officials, police officials, police officer, and the paper boy. Just a funny thought.

[logic101.net]

innocent until proven guilty. I wonder what ever happened to that country.

It’s called hope and change.

[MaxMax]

Great idea. Photoshop the letters to include their names, then send the nice letters home.
Do you think they would change the policy of harassment? Just plant the seed of doubt
into a woman's head and all hell will break loose.

[SECURE AMERICA]

So the intent here is to punish someone for NOT committing a crime?
What business is it of the government if you drive around in circles for a half hour?
Some enterprising lawyer will set these stupid ass cops up. Just wait......

[ThunderSleeps]

My twisted thinking. Get friends together, organize a "cruise night" where half a dozen or dozen of you go cruise the area. Of course wives and girlfriends are told in advance you are off to strike a blow for freedom. Maybe they come along. After cruising for a bit take wife/girlfriend out for ice cream or something.

Ok, serious question about these "automated" plate readers. So the officer supposedly sees behavior and then what, triggers the system? Or is the system on and reading and recording all plates all the time? Isn't there a concern about unreasonable search and seizure (of information) associated with grabbing all plates?

[dfwgator]

Makes one think of going down there intentionally just to be able to sue them.

Just clear the plan with the wife, first, though.

[SECURE AMERICA]

I’ve read that you can coat your license plate with a clear coat of flat enamel and foil the reader. Looks the same to the naked eye

Same principle as the red light cameras. Several companies sell plate cover that allow human eye viewing of the plate but block photo / mechanical reading of it.

[vetvetdoug]

This also sounds like big brother can cause some real pain in the homelife to someone that offends the politicians. In the military we had to investigate the STD contacts after interviewing the person that was diagnosed at the medical center with a communicable STD. Many times my wicked cohorts sent “contact” letters to the homes of the MP’s that had been harassing the medics. The wives were not amused.