Do any of you from CA have one of these "special" plates?

[Scott S]

In April 2008, The Orange County Register published a bombshell of an investigation about a license plate program for California government workers and their families. Drivers of nearly 1 million cars and light trucks—out of a total 22 million vehicles registered statewide—were protected by a “shield” in the state records system between their license plate numbers and their home addresses. There were, the newspaper found, great practical benefits to this secrecy.

“Vehicles with protected license plates can run through dozens of intersections controlled by red light cameras with impunity,” the Register’s Jennifer Muir reported. “Parking citations issued to vehicles with protected plates are often dismissed because the process necessary to pierce the shield is too cumbersome. Some patrol officers let drivers with protected plates off with a warning because the plates signal that drivers are ‘one of their own’ or related to someone who is.

http://reason.com/archives/2010/01/12/class-war

[SP01715]

I had confidential plates on my vehicles when I was in L.E. in California. The purpose was to keep information (home address etc...) from dirtbags that would try and get info on peace officers and other government employees.

[Ron61]

Scott,

I believe that is about the so called Diamond license plates. Any LEO or emergency type vehicle has a Diamond shaped emblem on it that lets them go through red lights and so forth, but it is only supposed to be in an emergency, not on a daily basis like they use it now. Also it should NOT allow them to hog the Disabled Parking Spaces like they do because it saves them 10 steps. Like most things, the idea behind it is good but it has became so abused that many people won't give the right away to them unless they have their lights on. Last week a cop in Redding got into trouble for doing this and all he was doing was running stop signs and through intersections to stop at a sidewalk mail box and mail a letter. This was witnessed by several people and was in the paper. But nothing was done about it he never hit anyone.

Ron

[SPF2245]

I had standard plates when I was CA, however, the registration returned blank except for the Sheriff's Office address. After a couple death threats from Nortenos...and I was glad for those plates. If we got a photo/radar ticket, it came thru the Sheriff Admin and it hurt. Maybe some get away with it in some places, but there were plenty on my squad with tickets having to stand tall before the man after having a ticket sent to the office.
I think the solution is sending the tickets to the agency and require punishment or a fine be put in place. Then they can continue to protect the identity of the officer and the trust of the public.

[Cobrabill]

Nothing wrong with special plates.Making a "tie-in" to running red lite cameras(which are un-constitutional)is absurd at best.

[THE ITALIAN]

I tried getting them , I have a jewelry store and my life has been threatened several times.They won't even consider me.Now I have two pistols and a black jack in my car(the black jack is really illegal and very affective) ,which I cannot get licensed for that either .I also tried to get my voters registration moved to my business as you become public property when registered , no way ! unless I am homeless ,
then they will deliver a ballot to a street corner of my choice ! so I said I moved and canceled my voting forever. yes really!
Got to be a member of a union or a cop or a political hack, the public has no protection so you have to break the law and I have for 30 years

[SP01715]

Originally Posted by THE ITALIAN

I tried getting them , I have a jewelry store and my life has been threatened several times.They won't even consider me.Now I have two pistols and a black jack in my car(the black jack is really illegal and very affective) ,which I cannot get licensed for that either .I also tried to get my voters registration moved to my business as you become public property when registered , no way ! unless I am homeless ,
then they will deliver a ballot to a street corner of my choice ! so I said I moved and canceled my voting forever. yes really!
Got to be a member of a union or a cop or a political hack, the public has no protection so you have to break the law and I have for 30 years

I would just stick with the gun, it's a lot more effective and it's only a misdemeanor if you get caught with it. The blackjack is a straight felony. I ran into more than a few people when I was in L.E. that carried, and I could care less as long as they were not dirtbags. You can use discretion on a misdemeanor, but it's hard to let someone walk on a felony. Just my.02.

[Gunner]

I simply use a PO Box for all my mail, registrations etc. included, and never have to worry about giving out my address or having someone look it up. It's worked for 30 years and at least one serious attempt to find me for unpleasant purposes.

[SPF2245]

Gunner has a good idea, use a PO box of if the state requires a true physical address, get a box from Mailboxes Ect. You use their physical address for your mailbox, also skips some of the junk mail sent to the house.

[Ron61]

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

Nothing wrong with special plates.Making a "tie-in" to running red lite cameras(which are un-constitutional)is absurd at best.

Bill,

I agree about the camera thing but if they aren't on an emergency, then I don't think they have any more right to run through stop signs, red lights, and other controlled places than anyone else. And no, the proverbial doughnut run doesn't fall under this. That is important.

Ron

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by SPF2245

Gunner has a good idea, use a PO box of if the state requires a true physical address, get a box from Mailboxes Ect. You use their physical address for your mailbox, also skips some of the junk mail sent to the house.

A few years back they changed the rules about "private mail boxes" and services like Mailboxes Plus had to quit using euphemisms like "Suite" or "Room" - addresses have to use the PMB designation that clearly indicates it is a private mailbox and not a real location. (This is generally a good thing; most scams used an address and "suite" number to look more legitimate than they were.)

I have two forms on my desk right now insisting on a physical address - "PO Boxes and PMB's not acceptable." So at some point you have to have a safe physical address. A business address is just fine - you with the jewelry store, use the business addy where you have to. It's already as public as it can get. Most people have some non-residential address they can use, even if it's borrowed from a family member or friend.

[Larry Spillman]

When WW 2 ended the SS didnt go away they came to America and got Govt jobs.