"As a matter of public safety, personnel are encouraged to strictly enforce violations of the State of New Mexico Traffic Law Manual regarding the obstruction of license plates. The appropriate statue is 66-3-18, Display of Registration Plates and Temporary Permits and Plates; Displays Prohibited and Allowed. Enforcement of this statute will assist law enforcement personnel in identifying suspects of crimes including, but not limited to: hit and run accidents, traffic offenses, auto thefts, burglaries, and robberies, where officer safety is of utmost concern."We agree that a police officer needs to be able to easily read a motorists license plate and that it is a legitimate safety issue for officers. However, we've noticed these license "protectors" popping up all over town and can't help but believe that they're starting to cut into profits over at Marty's toll booth center.
Our information is that you can have a license plate cover as long as the plate beneath it is clearly visible from a distance of one hundred feet. It will be interesting to see if APD actually starts writing citations for obstruction of license plates. Our Eyes tell us that despite the official line that must be towed by officers in uniform, officers are generally against the red light camera program and as long as these covers don't pose a threat to officer safety...
6 comments:
First my vehicle is a public nusiance...now my license plate cover is a threat to the police??? What will they think of next.
I used to teach kids that it was improper to protest a law by breaking it; I can't imagine the logic that allows radar detectors, photo defeating license plate covers, and blacked out windows.
It must be frustrating to be a cop and wonder just who in the hell is on who's side or what.
And I can't imagine the logic in "playing games" and denying the public due process all for the sake of making money--after all Albuquerque is part of the USA is it not? Due process is our right. Did you forget to teach the kids about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Boston Tea Party, any little bit about the history of how this great nation came about, anything of that sort??? I certainly taught mine--taught mine to never just roll over and simply play dead just because someone tells you to. None of this is about saving lives. It is about making money pure and simple. Leave the saving to Jesus--he's still doing it for free. But I heartily agree that it must be frustrating to be a police officer, though they are aware of the dangers they may be subject to face at times when they sign on to become police officers--they are not stupid people. Personally, my windows are clear and I don't have need for a radar detector, but I do have a license plate cover and I will keep it in place until a nice police officer pulls me over and requests that it be removed whether verbally or by written citation. If a police officer pulls me over and writes me a traffic citation for some reason I will pay it no problem. I won't even complain about it, but if I get a picture of my vehicle in the mail along with a demand for some kind of "ransom" to make it go away, I am going to return it to the sender with a photograph of my middle finger. I'd pack up and move out of this city and never come back before I would pay one of these tickets. Oh my gosh, I just thought about something. I forgot to change the kitty litter box in the last few days. I think the gestapo are watching me. Here kitty kitty here little microchipped kitty let's go wave at the gestapo.
Criminals have a habit of breaking or unscrewing the light that illuminates their license plate at night. They skulk around neighborhoods at night undedected because you can't read their plates. Lets go after those guys. License plate lights rarely go out unless they are tampered with. That's criminal,not having a clear plate cover.
What about dark tinted windows? When the police pull someone over for a traffic stop, they can't tell who's in the car,let alone how many are in the car or if they have a weapon. The police are supposed to stop those and test the windows with a tint meter. Is that being enforced? These are more critical than a licence plate cover, but the later interfers with revenues. So, whats the answer to these other two illiegal practices?
Ok...so now you have given them another idea to add their growing list of public nusiances...no freaking license plate light...there goes another hundred bucks. I seem to be becoming a bigger "criminal" by the day...geez...and what was this about one of the red light cameras purposes of relieving our hardworking officers of a small bit of traffic duty to attend to bigger criminal activities???
Oh come on in Albuquerque everyone is just covering up there expired license plate. After all this is the only place I know where people drive around with expired license plates for years and use dealer demo tags till they rot off. It would be nice if someone did some enforcement.
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