Engineering360: "NYPD issues cease-and-desist letter to Google"

I don't see that this is a problem, drunk people aren't going to look at any apps, they're drunk! ...and it allows the sober to avoid delays...Down here they post the locations of checkpoints beforehand in the paper as a public service...

The chp will post where but not the time ( other than saying am or pm ).

The local sheriff check point is posted in the paper afterwards but not before.

The newspaper article will state, as examples : 10 DWI, 4 expired license, 7 vehicle infraction, etc.

Check points give the police an opportunity to enforce every and any conceivable law, many well known and if the opportunity presents itself, any number of obscure laws also.

In the past, check points were an opportunity for departments with low operating budgets to " gather " support. A person ( usually a traveler ) would get cited, then directed to the nearest station or 24 hour court to post " bail " .

Many people have this app set on alert, so if and when they are drinking or just driving.

It's sort of the modern day smokey bear report & way back when, the police didn't like those over the air reports either.

Many years ago, on a lonely country two lane highway in south Georgia, coming back from vacation in Florida, we were stopped at a check point in the middle of the day. The deputy said my tag on my travel trailer expires tomorrow. I told him "Yes, I know. I will be home by tomorrow. My new stickers are in my mailbox awaiting my return."

And then he just stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face for about 15 seconds like he was trying to think of S - O - M - E - T - H - I - N - G before telling us we could go. It was like he was disappointed he couldn't write us a ticket for expired tags after checking our lights and such.

While these checkpoints may be technically legal, they smack of abuse of power. It wasn't like they were looking for a fugitive or drunk drivers or anything, they were out there trying to fish in a barrel.

I couldn't keep this image out of my head . . . .

I agree, this seems more like harassment than law enforcement...Paperwork violations are just nitpicking anyway...Law enforcement is mainly to protect the public, not nickle and dime them to death over technical violations that should at the most garner a warning....I don't think the concept of police departments gaining revenue from law enforcement is based on sound logic, and in fact it encourages overly aggressive tactics and abuse of power while victimizing generally law abiding citizens...

It is often used as a money machine, in Los Angeles. Anyone deemed "unable to drive" had their car impounded on the spot (No license, DUI, out of date registration etc. ) and the impound yards charged exorbitant fees for retrieval. They were in cahoots with the local Municipalities and got kickbacks from the tow yards who had "privileged rights to tow and store". The Courts finally stepped in and shut down the racketeering in some jurisdictions. I know of 2 individuals who could not afford both the fines and towing/storage charges and had to forfeit their vehicles instead

Check points are simply searching without a warrant and is not constitutional. I say beat this unconstitutional search any way you can.

I FIRMLY BELIEVE NYPD IS BLUFFING!

Big city PD trying to wag their weight and power around. Laughable at best.

In the WORDS OF THE NYPD ""Individuals who post the locations of DWI checkpoints may be engaging in criminal conduct"

FOCUS ON THE WORD "MAY" AND READ BETWEEN THE LINES. If the NYPD were certain they had any clout in this broad assumption they have mad they would have used the word ARE instead of MAY. This will get thrown out of court or be easily won by Google. I hope the NYPD files a legal action so we can get this cleared up for all the people who would like to create similar cellualr APPS.