Officers Ask Map App To Remove Police Tracking

 

"Waze, the popular navigation app boasting more than 50 million users worldwide, has a new critic: police officers. Over the past few weeks, law enforcement officials have been urging the app and its owner, Google, to disable a feature that allows users to report when they've spotted a police officer, in real time, for all other Waze users to see."

 

 

 

"In late December, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck sent an open letter to Google CEO Larry Page, saying that the app endangers officers' lives. "I am concerned about the safety of law enforcement officers and the community, and the potential for your Waze product to be misused by those with criminal intent to endanger police officers and the community," Beck wrote.

Beck also linked Waze to the recent killing of two NYPD officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. The shooter shared a screen grab on social media of the police tracker hours before the killings. But officials haven't directly linked Waze to the crime, and the shooter is believed to have ditched his phone before killing the officers."

Is this really any different from truckers reporting "smokey" to each other on their CB radios?

Isn't the app indirectly doing what the police presence is intended to?

Is this really any different from truckers reporting "smokey" to each other on their CB radios?

 

Not saying I agree that it should be shut down, but yeah I'd say it's a lot different. Everyone doesn't have access to a CB. That's mainly truckers. Everyone has a cell phone.

Not saying I agree that it should be shut down, but yeah I'd say it's a lot different. Everyone doesn't have access to a CB. That's mainly truckers. Everyone has a cell phone.

 

Understood. Everyone can have a CB though...

Isn't the app indirectly doing what the police presence is intended to?

 

It does do that in some manner, but it also could be useful tool to those wishing to commit crime.

It does do that in some manner, but it also could be useful tool to those wishing to commit crime.

 

Absolutely, and I see that as a major downside to it. However, I wonder what percentage of it's use is alerting others to police presence in those scenarios?

 

I haven't seen any numbers, so this is just my assumption, but I'd imagine the vast majority of people using this are doing so when they spot police on the roadways. If that's the case, those who are alerted have 3 options. Make sure they're in compliance with traffic laws when they go through the area, go an alternate route, or do nothing and risk getting a ticket. Either way, the goal is accomplished.

Absolutely, and I see that as a major downside to it. However, I wonder what percentage of it's use is alerting others to police presence in those scenarios?

 

I haven't seen any numbers, so this is just my assumption, but I'd imagine the vast majority of people using this are doing so when they spot police on the roadways. If that's the case, those who are alerted have 3 options. Make sure they're in compliance with traffic laws when they go through the area, go an alternate route, or do nothing and risk getting a ticket. Either way, the goal is accomplished.

 

100 % agree. It isn't like people are spotting undercover officers or stake outs. This is about speeding tickets and speed traps.

I use it all the time and report things like accidents, traffic, and yeah, speed traps.

 

It has saved me a few times too.

 

Very good APP.

Not saying I agree that it should be shut down, but yeah I'd say it's a lot different. Everyone doesn't have access to a CB. That's mainly truckers. Everyone has a cell phone.

 

That's completely relative. It's absolutely no different simply based on how many people use something. Nothing is keeping everyone from going out and getting a CB (heck, I've always wanted to put one of my car, but I know that my GF would use the antenna to murder me) and doing the exact same thing.

 

The only difference is ease of use, and again, that's completely relative. If you gave my grandfather an iPhone and a CB, he's going to be able to use one and not the other.

 

I don't see any really issue with this. I really don't think it impacts crime or violence one way or the other, because I've never felt that a known or unknown police force impacts ones desire to commit such acts.

Does anyone still use a radar detector?

 

If so, do they still even work?

You could just drive around and falsely report police all over the highway.

I use this app and it works great. Doesn't freedom of speech allow this? I should be able to tell others when an officer is out on a public highway clocking people

 

Understood. Everyone can have a CB though...

 

Can, but they don't. And once you say it over the CB, it's gone. If you didn't hear it, you didn't hear it. This treks exactly when and where the police are. Again, not saying it should be shut down, but there are a lot of differences.

 

That's completely relative. It's absolutely no different simply based on how many people use something. Nothing is keeping everyone from going out and getting a CB (heck, I've always wanted to put one of my car, but I know that my GF would use the antenna to murder me) and doing the exact same thing.

 

The only difference is ease of use, and again, that's completely relative. If you gave my grandfather an iPhone and a CB, he's going to be able to use one and not the other.

 

I don't see any really issue with this. I really don't think it impacts crime or violence one way or the other, because I've never felt that a known or unknown police force impacts ones desire to commit such acts.

 

There are plenty of differences. Like I said before, if you missed someone's radio traffic, you missed it. This stays on the internet so you can see it even if you didn't see it right when it was put there.