Minn. Shuts Down Controversial Police Database -- Second Amendment Threat

Local 6 News--Florida ^ | 18/19 Dec 03 | On-Line News

[Gunrunner2]

Minn. Shuts Down Controversial Police Database

POSTED: 10:51 PM EST December 18, 2003 UPDATED: 1:18 AM EST December 19, 2003

ST. PAUL -- A massive state-run database of confidential police files was shut down Thursday out of concern it violated privacy laws, officials said.

Through a password-protected Internet site, the system gave police access -- sometimes right from their squad cars -- to a deep mine of records that included the names of suspects, witnesses and those who have been arrested, convicted and sought gun permits. The network sometimes offered a physical description and also contained juvenile files.

Some saw it as the sort of tool that could help police protect citizens, but others decried it as a Big Brother network operating outside the bounds of state regulation.

On Thursday, a nonprofit organization that owns the network voted to immediately purge the Multiple Jurisdiction Network Organization of its millions of police "contact" records. The records had been collected by more than 175 Minnesota police agencies and a handful in Wisconsin over several years.

Scott Knight, who is police chief for the town of Chaska, about 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis, called the shutdown "an absolute travesty and a major setback for law enforcement."

State officials had been poised to terminate the contract on their own if the organization -- the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association -- did not act.

The state Department of Administration determined last month that the network appeared to violate privacy protections in several ways, including its treatment of juvenile records and gun permit data.

Scott Chapman, a computer systems administrator, questioned the system after he learned he'd been detained by police at a political rally in part because of inaccurate information the system had about his request for a handgun permit.

"I hope that this leads to a renewed discussion on public access to government data at all levels and the responsibility of the agencies that collect it," he said.

The system was briefly taken down in October when a hacker claimed he gained access to the records. It later returned, but with about half the 8 million records it had at its peak.

Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Gunrunner2]

Please note the data base kept a record of who sought gun permits. The powers that be decided to maintain a database on who was exercising their Second Amendment right. To what end? To what purpose? This would be akin to maintaining a database on who wrote a letter to the editor and exercised their First Amendment right.

(". . . mine of records that included the names of suspects, witnesses and those who have been arrested, convicted and SOUGHT GUN PERMITS.")

(". . .the network appeared to violate privacy protections in several ways, including its treatment of juvenile records and GUN PERMIT DATA.")

(". . .because of inaccurate information the system had about his request for a HANDGUN PERMIT.")

And yet the democRATS asure us no need to worry about "gun control."

[joesnuffy]

The linkage between those who seek gun permits and criminals....
very eeenteresting...

[craig61a]

I have followed this in the news the past few months. The site frontend required a username/password, but all you really had to do if you wanted to search it was append </personsearch.asp> to the main URL. What security! Plus they had records on a legislator who's neighbor complained about where they parked their car 6 years ago... That's what eventually got the system shutdown. The fact that someone other than the state maintained this is ridiculous; and although they said they have now purged the data, I'm sure someone has it all on CD's in a cakebox somewhere... I sure hope that this is not where it ends; someone should end up going to jail over this.

[Captiva]

Welcome to the Chaska Police Department’s web page. This page is but one of the many ways we take to help assure that we are effectively connecting with the citizens we serve. To help make this effort a success, we will strive to make this site as useful and as interactive as we possibly can. So if there is additional information or services which could be useful, please contact me or any other member of the department.

We are very proud to be members of the community that believes itself to be the "best small town in Minnesota". It is hard to prove that we truly are the best but it doesn't stop us from striving to achieve that status. We see our department's goals and values as being totally in tune with those of our community. Much has been made of the "new" community policing philosophy in recent years but the fact is that we never left that philosophy. We have always felt a part of the community and not as an occupation force. The next time you see one of us, introduce yourself! We'd like to know you.
Scott M. Knight
Chief of Police

http://www.chaskamn.com/policeold/Chiefs.htm
http://www.chaskamn.com/policeold/commcomp.htm

[Puppage]

"an absolute travesty and a major setback for law enforcement."

BS!

It's a matter of FEDERAL LAW. Law enforcement wants to see a list of all the people who attempted to purchase a gun under false pretenses...here ya go, no problem.

Law enforcement want to see a list of law abiding people who purchased their guns properly? Nope, FEDERAL LAW prohibits it.

I can't stand this "it's a tool for law enforcement" Well, how about we all give them our DNA? How about we give them plaster casts of our car tires? OH, I KNOW!!! Let's just call the police, tell them where we're going, and when we'll be back?

AFTER ALL, IT'S JUST A TOOL TO HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT

[banjo joe]

That's the prob with gubmint data - it's not secured. You'd be stunned at what they collect under HIPAA (health info) requirements, and since it's in standard format... guess what?

[Larry Lucido]

Scott Knight, who is police chief for the town of Chaska, about 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis, called the shutdown "an absolute travesty and a major setback for law enforcement."

No, Mr. Knight, it's a setback for elitist control freaks.

[uncbob]

s, witnesses and those who have been arrested, convicted and sought gun permits.

So how come they weren't prosecuted and put in jail

[TheFrog]

Because they will be made managers in the Dept. of Home Land Security

[ikka]

On Thursday, a nonprofit organization that owns the network voted

What is the name of the non-profit, and who sits on their board?

[af_vet_rr]

The linkage between those who seek gun permits and criminals....
very eeenteresting...

The people in the government would never try and link the two, they trust all of us law-abiding gun owners, didn't you get the memo???

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bang

[wjcsux]

"Bear arms or wear chains."

[Old Professer]

Well, how about we all give them our DNA? How about we give them plaster casts of our car tires?

Why not, if we have nothing to hide?

[Puppage]

Why not, if we have nothing to hide?

You go right ahead & do that then. Remember, the police are there to save you. No need to own a gun, right?

[dirtboy]

Why not, if we have nothing to hide?

Most Germans in Nazi Germany had nothing to hide. Most folks in the Soviet Union had nothing to hide. Most folks in Iraq had nothing to hide. The point is, we have the Bill of Rights as a roadblock to a totalitarian state, and what may seem to you to be burdens on catching some criminals are in place to prevent a President Hillary Clinton from being able to assume absolute powers.

[tcuoohjohn]

This is funny..


You don't believe Ashcroft has access to ever gun permit, sale, and transfer in the nation for the past 23 years?

Your dreaming.

[Johnny Gage]

Minnesota (small) Victory PING!

[Gunrunner2]

Okay. . .tell me how he is able to do that.
"Every" transfer, even those between individuals?
Every sale between individuals?
I didn't know he was AG 23yrs ago. . .or were you saying Big Brother is keeping records only from 23 yrs ago, and before 23yrs ago there are no records? And where are these records from, say, my .22 purchase back in '80 are kept. . .and all those people that are necessary to maintain a data-base of this sort, you mean to tell me not one was a pro-Second Amendment kind of guy?

Wow, neat rick to keep it a secret when our "super-secret" Carnivore and Echelon programs are leaked.

Let me get my tin-foil hat and I'll be ready for your transmission. . .

;-)

[El Gato]

The powers that be decided to maintain a database on who was exercising their Second Amendment right. To what end? To what purpose? This would be akin to maintaining a database on who wrote a letter to the editor and exercised their First Amendment right.

Which is exactly why no such PERMIT, with attendent paper trail, should ever be allowed, even the DemocRat Farm Labor Party dominated PR of MN.