3 ms·

And while we're discussing it, 80% of people carrying cash are not drug smugglers, and 80% of people using Waze to watch for traffic cops are not cop-killers. A

by crispy2000 12y ago

And while we're discussing it, 80% of people carrying cash are not drug smugglers, and 80% of people using Waze to watch for traffic cops are not cop-killers. Are we seeing a trend here?

dangerlibrary 12y ago
Wait, is that actually a criticism levelled against Waze? That can't possibly stick, right? Almost everyone in the U.S. drives and everyone who drives hates getting traffic tickets. I thought allegations/criticisms like these only really worked when you could separate the users into some group identified as "other".
- mattparcher 12y ago
  http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLICE_TRACKING_APP http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLICE_TRACKING_AP... From the article: Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck complained in a letter to Google's chief executive on Dec. 30 that Waze could be "misused by those with criminal intent to endanger police officers and the community."
  - msandford 12y ago
    Perhaps then the police should stop tracking everyone's movements with Automated Number Plate Readers (ANPRs) because the second their huge database gets compromised it's going to be exceedingly easy for criminals to figure out when law abiding citizens are regularly not home (and not just during work hours!) so they can safely break into houses and rob them. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
- Rafert 12y ago
  It could be, according to some sheriffs: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLICE_TRACKING_APP?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLICE_TRACKING_AP...
- howeyc 12y ago
  Yes that is a real criticism against Waze. The thought is that the "show where the cops are" feature can be used by those who wish to assassinate cops (by finding them when they are alone I guess). The obvious conclusion being that the feature must be removed (obvious to a certain Orange country sheriff at least). http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/28/382013185/officers-ask-map-app-to-remove-police-tracking http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/28/382013185/off...
  - simias 12y ago
    That's not saying that "80% of Waze users are cop killers" though. Just that some people could use it to locate cops in order to attack them. I don't know if that makes really sense but it's much less outrageous than what the OP implied.
    - JelteF 12y ago
      I think what the OP implied is that things will always be used by criminals for other purposes than intended.
    - Alupis 12y ago
      I think it's more likely to be used on the commonplace to avoid areas with police -- either for the traffic ticket dodger, or for mugger's, home invader's, etc...
  - nobleach 12y ago
    There is a movement (it's currently trending on Facebook - so there are plenty articles to read there) that is trying to force Google to remove the offending data. The problem is, to anyone's knowledge, there hasn't been a single case of "officer assault" linked to Waze data. It does sound silly, as cops are not hard to find. I seriously doubt a would be cop killer needs to consult an app when looking for a cop to kill.
    - digler990 12y ago
      > cops are not hard to find. IIRC they even have a common phone number to summon them.

And while we're discussing it, 80% of people carrying cash are not drug smugglers, and 80% of people using Waze to watch for traffic cops are not cop-killers. Are we seeing a trend here?

dangerlibrary 12y ago

Wait, is that actually a criticism levelled against Waze? That can't possibly stick, right? Almost everyone in the U.S. drives and everyone who drives hates getting traffic tickets. I thought allegations/criticisms like these only really worked when you could separate the users into some group identified as "other".

mattparcher 12y ago
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLICE_TRACKING_APP http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLICE_TRACKING_AP... From the article: Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck complained in a letter to Google's chief executive on Dec. 30 that Waze could be "misused by those with criminal intent to endanger police officers and the community."
- msandford 12y ago
  Perhaps then the police should stop tracking everyone's movements with Automated Number Plate Readers (ANPRs) because the second their huge database gets compromised it's going to be exceedingly easy for criminals to figure out when law abiding citizens are regularly not home (and not just during work hours!) so they can safely break into houses and rob them. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Rafert 12y ago
It could be, according to some sheriffs: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLICE_TRACKING_APP?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLICE_TRACKING_AP...
howeyc 12y ago
Yes that is a real criticism against Waze. The thought is that the "show where the cops are" feature can be used by those who wish to assassinate cops (by finding them when they are alone I guess). The obvious conclusion being that the feature must be removed (obvious to a certain Orange country sheriff at least). http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/28/382013185/officers-ask-map-app-to-remove-police-tracking http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/28/382013185/off...
- simias 12y ago
  That's not saying that "80% of Waze users are cop killers" though. Just that some people could use it to locate cops in order to attack them. I don't know if that makes really sense but it's much less outrageous than what the OP implied.
  - JelteF 12y ago
    I think what the OP implied is that things will always be used by criminals for other purposes than intended.
  - Alupis 12y ago
    I think it's more likely to be used on the commonplace to avoid areas with police -- either for the traffic ticket dodger, or for mugger's, home invader's, etc...
- nobleach 12y ago
  There is a movement (it's currently trending on Facebook - so there are plenty articles to read there) that is trying to force Google to remove the offending data. The problem is, to anyone's knowledge, there hasn't been a single case of "officer assault" linked to Waze data. It does sound silly, as cops are not hard to find. I seriously doubt a would be cop killer needs to consult an app when looking for a cop to kill.
  - digler990 12y ago
    > cops are not hard to find. IIRC they even have a common phone number to summon them.