The Libertarian Party of New York (LPNY) declares its staunch opposition to the New York State Department of Transportation’s broadened implementation of automated speeding tickets. The automated ticketing system, implemented in a limited way in 2021 and expanded recently, employs technology to detect and automatically issue speeding tickets. While excused as a road safety measure, the LPNY interprets this move to broadly expand this system as an insidious strategy for hidden taxation of the working class while egregiously infringing upon their Fourth Amendment rights.
According to LPNY, the exploitation of these systems for financial gain under the guise of public safety constitutes not just a breach of personal privacy but also an act of state-sanctioned extortion. Their position is that this system not only exemplifies governmental overreach but also serves as a devious mechanism for revenue gathering, effectively extorting money from vehicle owners via a hidden tax under the pretext of safety.
“The deployment of automated ticketing systems amounts to a flagrant violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures,” remarked Andrew Kolstee, Chair of the Libertarian Party of New York. “Beyond the constitutional transgression, it is a thinly veiled attempt to extort money from hard-working New Yorkers. The lack of human oversight and the denial of any recourse to contest these automated tickets is a profound infringement on the rights enshrined to every American.”
The LPNY is particularly alarmed by the lack of public awareness and debate regarding the broadened implementation of this system. The covert manner in which this law was passed and put into effect raises significant concerns about governmental transparency and accountability.
Furthermore, the LPNY expresses deep concerns over the potential expansion of such surveillance technology and its implications for personal privacy and freedom. “What starts as automated speeding enforcement could easily become a slippery slope towards more invasive forms of government surveillance,” added Kolstee. “This is already happening. These cameras were introduced in work zones, but are reportedly being installed in non-work zone areas, which discretely expands the government surveillance system.”
According to LPNY, this approach disproportionately burdens the financially vulnerable and working class New Yorker, creating a two-tiered justice system based on one’s ability to pay.
“The LPNY calls for an immediate suspension of this automated ticketing system,” remarked Kolstee. “We urge state legislators and the New York State Department of Transportation to consider the serious Fourth Amendment concerns raised by such a system. We are committed to the principles of individual liberty, due process and limited government, and advocate for a state where public safety is upheld without compromising the constitutional freedoms of its citizens. The automated speeding ticket system violates these principles and the constitutional rights of New Yorkers.”
The LPNY is actively seeking people who have been ticketed by this new system, as plaintiffs in a legal challenge against it. The LPNY is concurrently launching a fundraising drive to support these efforts. By combining legal action with advocacy, the LPNY aims to protect the Fourth Amendment rights of all New Yorkers against what it considers to be invasive measures by the State.