Who says we aren't heading to a Police State?

Technology + Legislation + Politics + Fear = Police state.

Ok, so I'm simplifying but most people can understand the concept.

The BBC report -

Police have used new technology to trace witnesses to a crash which killed four members of a Tyneside family.

Paula Gilbert, 29, her partner Neil Jex, 37 and sons Tristan, three and Kaiden, seven months, of Hebburn, died on the A1 near Catterick on 3 March.

The only survivor, Macauley Gilbert, eight, is recovering in hospital.

Police using Automatic Number Plate Recognition have identified 70 drivers who were in the area at the time of the crash and asked them to come forward.

They hope the letters they have sent out will jog the memories of people who may have information which could assist the investigation.


Now its fair to say this is a "positive" way of invading people's privacy but it won't bring back the dead.

Just goes to show that the technology to track people en masse and retrospectively is up and running. We all know about cell site analysis and use of other systems to track people but when they can query a database in this way then contact people just for being in an area at a given time, its cause for concern.

Just wait until they introduce ID cards. Oh, it'll be touted as the greatest thing since sliced bread but you can bet your bottom dollar it'll be hooked up to CCTV, facial recognition, the PNC and a whole host of other system.

The only thing they won't have is a camera in your home. Thing is, with profiling, is it really necessary to do that?

Be prepared to prove your innocence because it feels like the presumption of guilt is on its way in.