2. Solving crime. Here's the rub. Are we willing to have an unspecified number of crimes solved in exchange for the government tracking our vehicles' movements on every public road in Virginia? Emphatically, NO. Solving crimes is not worth the cost of mass surveillance. 2/9 - ThreadSky

rpogge.bsky.social • 40 days ago

2. Solving crime.

Here's the rub. Are we willing to have an unspecified number of crimes solved in exchange for the government tracking our vehicles' movements on every public road in Virginia? Emphatically, NO. Solving crimes is not worth the cost of mass surveillance.

2/9

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rpogge.bsky.social•40 days ago

3. The cameras are already up.

This is by far the weakest argument. Yes, local law enforcement have ALPRs—at the cost of both money and privacy to VA taxpayers and drivers. Flock charges localities $3k/yr to rent each camera. Stop paying, and the cameras go away.

3/9

rpogge.bsky.social•40 days ago

Reasonable people can disagree about #2—though we have never, on any bill in our eight years of advocacy at
@justicefwdva.bsky.social, seen as much support as we have for stopping mass surveillance. Expanding ALPRs to state highways is a DEEPLY unpopular policy.

4/9

rpogge.bsky.social•40 days ago

So much of the debate on this ALPR bill has been about proponents hiding the expansion. Over the weekend, when amendments were made, other advocates got confused. They believed the expansion was out. It wasn't. One organization flipped to support, then back to opposition.

5/9

rpogge.bsky.social•40 days ago

And as soon as the bill changed yesterday to reflect SOME of the changes we asked for—moving a 30-day retention period to 21 days, eliminating the expansion to state highways—law enforcement ended its support for the bill.

They want the expansion—or no regulations at all.

6/9

rpogge.bsky.social•40 days ago

We have opposed the expansion of ALPRs to state highways publicly for more than two years, dating back to the 2023 session when it was first introduced by then-Sen. Lynwood Lewis. Our position has not changed. See our letter from Feb. 20, 2023.

7/9

https://justiceforwardva.com/blog/2023/2/20/oppose-mass-surveillance-a-letter-to-the-virginia-general-assembly

rpogge.bsky.social•40 days ago

Kudos to the VA senators who stood on principle and voted against the expansion. We appreciate you. @lashrecseaird.bsky.social @jenniferboysko.bsky.social @creighdeeds.bsky.social @barbarafavola.bsky.social @salimvasenate.bsky.social and others!

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