Dispute Simmers Over Web Site Posting Personal Data on Police

NY Times ^ | July 12, 2003 | ADAM LIPTAK

[CWOJackson]

"What goes around, comes around."

Here's hoping you receive your own rewards soon.

[AAABEST]

So a cop investigating a murder/rape/burglary/larceny/pick your crime doesn't protect you? I forget, everyone lives in a vacuum and their actions effect no other people. When a child molester is caught, no children are protected. When the cops arrest a serial killer or serial rapist nobody in society is protected.

Fair enough, if that's what you mean by protect I'm with you all the way, but that's not how you put it. You tried the ol' "if you're getting ready to die and a cop comes and saves you, you'd think different" cliche'. That save the day stuff is an old wives tale.and you know it.

[CWOJackson]

And by the way, King County Washington is where Mr. Sheehan is posting the information on the officers.

[Brytani]

They are too busy to attend, spending their time anonymously posting their hatred of cops on here.

[CWOJackson]

It's far safer. Not that any of them wouldn't be willing to publicly defend their stance...I'm sure.

[Brytani]

Having had my ass literally saved by a cop, I'd disagree. However, since most people will not be in the situation I was in a personal understanding of what cops do is beyond their comprehension.

[AAABEST]

Yeap, cops just pull people over to harrass them. They never do it because maybe the person is breaking a law, or heaven forbid..

I didn't say or even allude to any of that, what are you talking about?

Of course!!! I get it now, cops should just decide which laws they will enforce and which ones they won't.

Oh bah. They love their Friday night roadblocks where everyone gets asked for their papers and gets a mini interrogation, it's not like it's torture for them and nobody is forcing them to do it. They do it because they can.

Also, you shouldn't be bringing the supreme court up around here nowadays. It'll cause you to lose an argument real quick.

[Fred Mertz]

I will say that posting their SSNs bothers me.

I'd rather see who they live next to and what parish church they attend.

[bjcintennessee]

Yeap, all cops do is protect those in their ranks who brake the laws, harrass innocent criminals and make life miserable for us poor folks under their boots.

Your words, not mine.

I was told by a retired cop in my community that it would be unwise to refuse to let a cop search my vehicle if I was ever pulled over for a traffic violation and the cop asked. While I have nothing to hide, I consider it a violation of my rights. He cautioned me that my refusal could prompt a radio call for the drug dogs to be called while the officer stalled, waiting for their arrival. I was further cautioned that, once on the scene, few people know what signals are given to the dogs. So if the dogs make a fuss, the officer might then "pull something out of your car seat" that wasn't there before you were pulled over.

So plead your case about the integrity of all officers when we innocent private citizens can be reasonably certain that all officers are deserving of our accolades.

[Jeff Gordon]

The data base sounds like a good idea to me.

It will help greatful citizens send Thank You cards, Christmas presents, etc to LEOs who have been a genuine help to them. It will help police groupies and supporters to show their appreciation but doing little things like cutting their lawn, painting their houses, washing their cars and even shining their boots. It will allow citizens that really appreciate all the help they have had from the police to look out for their families while they are on duty.

Sheehan should consider making up playing cards or trading cards with pictures, names, addresses, phone numbers etc of these hard working, fearless and helpful boys and girls in blue.

[AAABEST]

If that's the case, your argument is much more valid. If it's equal justice for all occupations, civilian and not I'm all for it.

[AAABEST]

I will say that posting their SSNs bothers me.

I will too.

[my3centseuro]

You said "I believe in equal justice under the law. If we can't look up the cop's asses they shouldn't be able to look up our any time they want. If they can look up ours any time they want we should be able to do the same. "

So we should be able to look at a bank tellers checking account, know what a grocery store clerk eats for dinner, what your doctor's cholesterol level is?

What part of privacy is so hard to understand? I agree that police officers should only look up information for legitimate purposes and some may take advantage of that.

But just because a few officers take advantage does not mean that all of them should have to have their information easily accessable.

[CWOJackson]

That is the case, and not just here in King County but all of Washington state and most every other state.

But Mr. Sheehan is free to make the very same information public on county employees.

[AAABEST]

So go make a website against sheenan. I'm guessing he's been investigated heavily and they're not finding anything yet.

By the way things sound though, he's being gone after and harmed more than anyone who he's put on his site. I'll be he's got some legal bills.

God works in strange ways, we don't always have to make a law for everything.

[Sir Gawain]

He cautioned me that my refusal could prompt a radio call for the drug dogs to be called while the officer stalled, waiting for their arrival. I was further cautioned that, once on the scene, few people know what signals are given to the dogs. So if the dogs make a fuss, the officer might then "pull something out of your car seat" that wasn't there before you were pulled over.

Yep, the nerd in the back of the class grew up and now has a gun and a badge and is going to make sure you know who's boss. And I hear they shoot family dogs for sport in Tennessee.

[AAABEST]

What part of privacy is so hard to understand?

I agree we shoud have privacy. Why are my friends and neighbors getting stopped by uniformed men with dogs and asked for papers then?

This is what you call backlash.

[CWOJackson]

For anyone to post the same information on Mr. Sheehan would be illegal.

But it's good to see that you really don't care at all about equal treatment of personal information; afterall, the cops obviously deserve it right?

[af_vet_rr]

Yeap, cops just pull people over to harrass them. They never do it because maybe the person is breaking a law, or heaven forbid, their legislature has passed a law that allows random checks (backed up by the supreme court btw).

Back before it was nationally publicized on some news show (20/20, Primetime Live, etc. don't remember), if you drove through Louisiana with out-of-state plates (especially Texas), you had a good chance of being pulled over for no reason, by cops on a fishing expedition. I knew plenty of people that had this happen to them (as well as myself) - family, friends, people that were serving at Barksdale with me or under me, but that is for another thread.

To get back on topic, I will say I don't think the SS#s should be posted, but then again state agencies collect and use our SS#s, so..

[af_vet_rr]

But it's good to see that you really don't care at all about equal treatment of personal information; afterall, the cops obviously deserve it right?

The way I see it, the cops are an extension of the government, even if it is at the local level. The government (in case you've missed the umpteen-billion threads on FR) is trying to collect lots and lots of data on us.

President Bush is letting Poindexter (somebody who broke a few laws) try and come up with all kinds of ways to track us. Ashcroft wanted us to spy on one another. I could go on, but the point is, the government wants to know who we are/what we do, etc., no reason that we can't turn that around. If the cops want to complain about it, then they need to raise the same concerns that we on FR do.