NCJ Number
59207
Date Published
1978
Length
96 pages
Annotation
AN EXPERIMENT TO IDENTIFY MOTOR VEHICLE LAW VIOLATORS WAS CONDUCTED IN MARYLAND; TERMED PROJECT TAGS, IT INVOLVED THE MASS SCREENING OF LICENSE PLATES.
Abstract
IN DECEMBER 1973, THE MARYLAND MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION, MARYLAND STATE POLICE, AND THE INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY LAUNCHED THE PROJECT TO IDENTIFY VEHICLES WHOSE PLATES INDICATE THEY ARE WANTED (I.E. STOLEN CARS OR CARS INVOLVED IN FELONIES) OR WHOSE DRIVERS MAY BE OPERATING ILLEGALLY (I.E., WITH SUSPENDED OR REVOKED LICENSES). IDENTIFICATION WAS DETERMINED BY THE USE OF RAPID, COMPUTER-BASED MASS SCREENING OF THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION PLATES OF EITHER PARKED VEHICLES OR THOSE IN MOTION. LAWS WERE EXTENSIVELY RESEARCHED TO ENSURE THAT THE SCREENING WAS NEITHER ARBITRARY NOR CAPRICIOUS, AND THAT IT DID NOT VIOLATE CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES. THE INITIAL PHASE OF THE PROJECT, CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF MASS SCREENING WOULD ACTUALLY WORK IN A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTS, WAS CARRIED OUT BY USING A VAN EQUIPPED WITH OBSERVERS, KEYBOARD DISPLAYS, AND A MINICOMPUTER SYSTEM CONTAINING A LIST OF REGISTRATION PLATE NUMBERS OF INTEREST TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. THE SECOND PHASE INCORPORATED THE MASS SCREENING FUNCTION DIRECTLY INTO PATROL CARS EQUIPPED WITH SPECIALLY DESIGNED QUERY DEVICES THAT CONTAINED THE LIST OF REGISTRATION PLATE NUMBERS. THE OBSERVER IN THE CAR, USING A DISPLAY CONSOLE LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE PASSENGER POSITION, PERFORMED THE MASS SCREENING FUNCTION. WHEN THE PROJECT'S RESULTS WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE OF NORMAL POLICE OPERATIONS IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD., THE COMPARISON SHOWED THAT MASS SCREENING PRODUCED MORE CITATIONS FOR DRIVING WHILE LICENSES WERE SUSPENDED, REVOKED, CANCELLED, OR REFUSED THAN NORMAL OPERATIONS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE HOW MASS SCREENING CAN BE USED IN OTHER SITUATIONS. TABULAR DATA AND PHOTOGRAPHS ARE PROVIDED.