rscalzo
Member
No, not always
We were required to shred CCH printouts and they were not permitted to be included with the case file. Much depends if the case is active or not. OPRA requirements vary from state to state. DL information is restricted.
Police at gunshop
- Thread starter merlinfire
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We were required to shred CCH printouts and they were not permitted to be included with the case file. Much depends if the case is active or not. OPRA requirements vary from state to state. DL information is restricted.
HorseSoldier
Member
Here in Alaska convictions are public record, and accessible via a (very popular and heavily used) website. Information about open cases, pending court cases, arrests and such, is entirely different and is significantly regulated and limited by the investigated agency or prosecuting agency. Realistically, officers who are looking for anyone from a suspected cannibal-serial killer to a potential witness to a minor hit and run collision are going to "just need to talk to them," when looking around for them. Besides possible effects on the investigation, there's the whole issue of what happens when a guy isn't guilty at trial or charges just fizzle entirely and officers have been, say, canvassing his neighborhood telling the neighbors "they're looking for him since he beat his wife/molested his kids/set fire to a nun/whatever."
Archie
Member
Lots of reasons
Information in possession of police for official purposes - no matter how benign or irrelevant - is by policy 'private'. In simplest terms, it is no one else's business. This applies to convictions. If a lawman has knowledge of a certain person's criminal record, it is typically 'bad form' to bandy that knowledge about. Surely not to people with no stake in the matter. NOT public information is background information or details of an active investigation.
However, "... need to talk to him..." could mean anything from "Are you the John Doe wanted for murder?" to "Do you know where we could find your brother?" to "Remember the car that was stolen from your driveway three years ago?" BUT they're not to discuss with third parties.
Many times this results in lawmen looking like a pack of officious snobs. When dealing with this sort of thing, I always tried to say something like, "I cannot discuss XX's personal business with anyone else; but he can tell you whatever he wants about it" and I'd smile.
Face it, if a cop wanted to talk to you, would you want him discussing anything - say your daughter's boyfriend - with anyone who asked?
Why come to the gunshop? Perhaps the current address on the subject's DMV record is not correct? People honestly forget to update information. Not to mention looking into stolen identity cases. You have no idea how many arrest warrants I've checked against people to determine the real bad guy used an alias identical or very close to the real name of the innocent party before me.
Okay. Something triggered my 'lecture' switch. I'm done now.
Information in possession of police for official purposes - no matter how benign or irrelevant - is by policy 'private'. In simplest terms, it is no one else's business. This applies to convictions. If a lawman has knowledge of a certain person's criminal record, it is typically 'bad form' to bandy that knowledge about. Surely not to people with no stake in the matter. NOT public information is background information or details of an active investigation.
However, "... need to talk to him..." could mean anything from "Are you the John Doe wanted for murder?" to "Do you know where we could find your brother?" to "Remember the car that was stolen from your driveway three years ago?" BUT they're not to discuss with third parties.
Many times this results in lawmen looking like a pack of officious snobs. When dealing with this sort of thing, I always tried to say something like, "I cannot discuss XX's personal business with anyone else; but he can tell you whatever he wants about it" and I'd smile.
Face it, if a cop wanted to talk to you, would you want him discussing anything - say your daughter's boyfriend - with anyone who asked?
Why come to the gunshop? Perhaps the current address on the subject's DMV record is not correct? People honestly forget to update information. Not to mention looking into stolen identity cases. You have no idea how many arrest warrants I've checked against people to determine the real bad guy used an alias identical or very close to the real name of the innocent party before me.
Okay. Something triggered my 'lecture' switch. I'm done now.
MICHAEL T
Member
I have witness this 2 times at shop I go to. person tries to buy Dealer calls in . The do check get hit on warrent . Tell dealer to try and stall few min. Police show up and guy taken in to custody . One we never found out charge. Other guy had warrent for not paying child support. .
Its part of the system in today computer world . Gee and you thought they just checked on you.
Its part of the system in today computer world . Gee and you thought they just checked on you.
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