So first - Google doesn't rat on the police. The app users do. You can mark when you see a cop to warn others to slow down. Google allows it but the users actually do it.
Second - In case you aren't aware, the police themselves do it too. There is a small difference though - they will drive along a highway marking areas where they want people to think police are. A lot of times they do it when a highway goes through an urban area so people slow down.
It's all a cat-and-mouse game.
The apps also do other stuff like warn you about all kinds of idiotic things like railroad crossing ahead, car on shoulder, roadkill on street, fog, and a bunch of other things I've forgotten because I don't give a rip about any of them. The point is - they aren't just "ratting on the police". If having that feature helps people to slow down that's great.
I use it in my hometown because the police patrol 24/7 writing tickets for as little as 3 miles over the limit - in a 55mph zone (not even 10%). All that does is pisses people off, raises their insurance, and puts out a reputation of speed-traps so people in surrounding towns spend their money in other places instead of risking a ticket here. It also gets people to avoid the city and go the long way around when going somewhere. More traffic through neighborhoods, less revenue for businesses downtown. We've lost many restaurants and businesses - couldn't even keep a KFC. However we have 7 donut shops that thrive.
So first - Google doesn't rat on the police. The app users do. You can mark when you see a cop to warn others to slow down. Google allows it but the users actually do it.
Second - In case you aren't aware, the police themselves do it too. There is a small difference though - they will drive along a highway marking areas where they want people to think police are. A lot of times they do it when a highway goes through an urban area so people slow down.
It's all a cat-and-mouse game.
The apps also do other stuff like warn you about all kinds of idiotic things like railroad crossing ahead, car on shoulder, roadkill on street, fog, and a bunch of other things I've forgotten because I don't give a rip about any of them. The point is - they aren't just "ratting on the police". If having that feature helps people to slow down that's great.
I use it in my hometown because the police patrol 24/7 writing tickets for as little as 3 miles over the limit - in a 55mph zone (not even 10%). All that does is pisses people off, raises their insurance, and puts out a reputation of speed-traps so people in surrounding towns spend their money in other places instead of risking a ticket here. It also gets people to avoid the city and go the long way around when going somewhere. More traffic through neighborhoods, less revenue for businesses downtown. We've lost many restaurants and businesses - couldn't even keep a KFC. However we have 7 donut shops that thrive.