Will Collecting License Tag Information Really Be Lucrative?

There are a couple of MLM companies based on having people collect and enter information on license plate numbers they see around town. You enter the tag number and where you saw it into a data base. Supposedly, this information will be sold to law enforcement agencies to help track down criminals.If you are a fan of and of the CSI or NCIS shows, you probably know that nearly every major intersection in the US has a traffic camera. Toll booths also have them. If you have watched the reality TV shows about police chases, you probably know that many (maybe all?) police officers and state troopers have cameras mounted to their dashboard. I saw a show a few years ago where a trooper was shot by a man he had pulled over. The camera recorded the incident and the criminal was later apprehended.With all of this information available to them for free, why would law enforcement agencies pay a data collection company especially when the data may not even be timely? As far as I know there is no time limit for how quickly members must enter the data into the system.I always recommend that people research an opportunity thoroughly before joining and one site that is good to check is mlmwatchdog.com. They have some interesting information on these companies. They also posted a funny idea for making tons of money. Anyone can buy a dashboard camera for around $2800 so they suggested you could automate the data collection and enter lots of license plate numbers! I believe each member is limited though as to how many they can enter. Maybe you could have multiple positions?If you are considering joining one of these companies, I would also ask someone in law enforcement if they think the idea has any merit. Remember that in a multi-level structure, multiple people would get paid for each data entry.What I really find disturbing is the way these opportunities are marketed. They are tugging at people's heartstrings by telling them that this system will help with Amber Alerts, to catch kidnappers of children. I believe that someone who kidnaps a child must be aware that they are a top priority for the police and FBI. Some might not be very bright, but I would assume most of them do not stay in one place very long and might even change vehicles.It seems that timely information is crucial in these cases. The members of these MLM companies type license tag numbers into the database at their convenience. If they are just trying to make money by collecting the information will they care if it is timely? Since they are probably collecting this information while away from their home, unless they are carrying a device with internet access they would almost never enter the data the instant they saw the vehicle. Is data that is hours or even days old useful to law enforcement?It will be interesting to see if these companies survive. I have my doubts.