Coppers Go Wireless

Theoretically, this should let the officers more quickly check the validity of license plates and driver's licenses, as well as gun registrations and anything else that can be verified via the state's mainframe database.

This should be a good thing: Leave the valid citizens alone, rapidly discern those that aren't and take action. In reality, though, I've got mixed feelings on this...

Here in Redondo Beach, CA where I live and sometimes drive the ice-white-perl 1984 E350 stretched MO Van around, I've been pulled over for various reasons to check insurance, current registration and so on. Basically, suspicion of being non-rich in a trendy area. Since the MO Van is registered to the corporation, which resides in Los Angeles City, I would only expect this nasty trend to increase when police can quickly determine that the vehicle is registered in a less-affluent and relatively far-away area. There seems to be a direct correlation between the higher-tech the local police get and the frequency of such stops. (Once, I was pulled over for going too slowly on a surface street with a speed limit of 35 mph, got pulled over and all my IDs run.) Which should be illegal.

On the other hand, uninsured motorists driving around California are a huge problem -- I've never been in a moving accident, but have had two stationary vehicles hit by uninsured motorists. And Calvin "Hackfu" Kim was decked, and hospitalized, by an uninsured motorists. Clearly, this needs to be reigned in. So, the point here is that higher tech seems to be bringing higher profiling (oh, a sportbike he must have outstanding warrants, let's pull him over for... going TOO slowly! Yes, yes! The anarchist!) but little results. Is the intrusion in freedom worth it? Given today's climate, I think so, but if you're one of the (legal) ones that gets profiled, it sure does suck.