Very cool project, I didn't know about this until EFF just did short piece on how this org is fighting a cease and desist from the company enabling cops to mass-surviel the movements of the public.
IDEA: I don't have the technical chops to do it, but I'd loooove if someone used open-source license plate reader software and enabled people to set up a network of raspberry pies with inexpensive cameras attached them to surveil the surveiller: these devices could track cop plates as they move around cities, which could then be fed into a live, open map
I bet they wouldn't love getting a taste of their own medicine.
@00Aaron Oh, man, we could run a pool on how many days it would take for copcar tracking to become a felony.
This is something I would like to see as well. Unfortunately for me, the state (United Kingdom) would classify this as an offence under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Specifically, the Act states: "A person commits an offence if he collects or makes a record of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism."
I'm fairly sure they would regard tracking police vehicles as useful to a terrorist.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/11/section/58?view=extent
@princess_uncles that's wild, that is SO absurdly broad that any type of mapping or open source reporting would classify as terrorism
@00Aaron Indeed. There is a 'reasonable excuse' defence in the law, but it appears to be equally ill-defined.
The link below is an article which highlights some of the issues with that defence in Section 58 and a similar clause in another law. (fair warning, it's quite long and applies in the UK only obviously)
I will freely admit to being ignorant of the implications until fairly recently. Given the current geopolitical clusterfuck, I'm paying a lot more attention.
@00Aaron @princess_uncles indeed, when it was passed there was discussion as to whether simple possession of a map fell under the law.
There is Open CV and Optical Character recognition so I would guess what you are suggesting is doable.
I have seen PI projects where a camera pointing at a private parking space in say a block of flats can alert you if someone else is parked in your space. That usually uses colour of the car to work and relies on both parties not having the same colour of car.