Tucson Police Dept Violates The Privacy Of Anybody Possibly Connected To A Prostitute
Including, oh, her dentist, the next-door neighbor who watches her cat, and maybe her kid's public school teacher.
It's not that I have a problem with prostitution -- any more than I have a problem with two consenting adults making a transaction for one to buy another's car.
However, many people do have a problem with prostitution, and I have a problem with violating people's privacy. And there's a catch -- some people's privacy is more protected than others.
Radley Balko writes in the WaPo:
The Tucson police department is publicizing hundreds of names and phone numbers that appeared in some cellphones confiscated from several massage parlors around the city. Of course, there could be any number of reasons someone's number might appear in the phone of a woman working for a massage business that has been accused of prostitution. She might have her handyman or dentist in her phone. Perhaps her friends are in there. Wrong numbers, too. There may even be a city councilman in there, for completely innocuous reasons.So far, no one whose information was found in the phones has been charged with a crime. That's why at least some local media are refusing to publish the names.
Bizarrely, Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor confirmed as much when he told the Arizona Daily Star, "The inclusion of information in this list is in no way indicative of involvement in criminal activity."
Best of all, there were cops' names and phone numbers on the list but those have been removed and won't be released until an investigation and appeal process are completed.
How sweet -- concern for protecting the officers' privacy but not the citizens'. As Balko puts it:
So, before releasing the names of hundreds of people who appeared in the phones, the city police checked the names against the city's roster of police officers. They then redacted those names, and released all the others. The police officers' information won't be released until they've had a chance to clear their names through an internal investigation. As for everyone else, well, good luck explaining to your spouse, your kids, your boss and anyone else who might want to know why your name or number appeared in an accused prostitute's cellphone. Sure seems like two-tiered justice to me.
Here's to the local media that have refused to publish the names.
via @overlawyered
Corruption plain and simple. How much do you want to bet influential people the police chief likes didn't get their names published either?
Ben at September 20, 2015 5:41 AM
It's not two-tiered justice. It's not any kind of justice at all. It's an asshole harming other people because he likes to and he can.
Ken R at September 20, 2015 5:42 AM
Ben, I'd put money on that, and I don't usually bet unless I think there's a good chance I'll win.
Amy Alkon at September 20, 2015 5:50 AM
Despite their claim of "The inclusion of information in this list is in no way indicative of involvement in criminal activity" they damn well know that they are smearing these folks with a "scarlet letter." That is their intent.
And since they want to smear those folks without solid evidence of a crime they should do the same with those police officers! And let the chips fall where they may.
It should go without saying, it would be better if they didn't publish such names anyway.
charles at September 20, 2015 6:51 AM
Smells like mission creep... the Police Department is extending its purview to the broader social context, while arming itself with a new weapon.
If this police practice becomes established, service providers will be motivated to ask clients the likes of "Are you a prostitute?", chart the response, and withhold services and perhaps report accordingly.
Questions a Chief of Police might like to one day have them pose include, "Do you own firearms?", "Would your name appear on a list of donors to conservative causes?", and "Who is looking after your children while you are here?"
Lastango at September 20, 2015 7:32 AM
Do a FOIA type suit to get all names/numbers that were removed.
Damn it would be fun to have enough money to do pithy billboards around town.
Bob in Texas at September 20, 2015 8:33 AM
If they did that here with busted prostitutes, both my husband and I would appear on the list of published phone numbers. A friend of ours worked for a high-end escort service while she was in school working on her PhD in psychology. The service was busted about a year after she stopped working for them and her name was released in the investigation, but she was never charged.
BunnyGirl at September 20, 2015 1:18 PM
Anyone providing products or services that may be deemed illicit by authorities should include on any list of clients the names and numbers of several locally prominent people. These should include local politicians, bureaucrats, police, ministers, contractors, campaign supporters and other influential members of the local political, business and social elite.
This generates unpleasant tension for dickwad sheriffs and police chiefs while their underlings sort it out; and it provides camouflage and plausible deniability for loyal customers.
If Sheriff dickwad releases a redacted list, what's to stop the provider from releasing the full list?
Ken R at September 21, 2015 3:51 AM
"If this police practice becomes established, service providers will be motivated to ask clients the likes of 'Are you a prostitute?', chart the response, and withhold services and perhaps report accordingly."
Y'know, I had not thought about this, but you're right: this is an attempt to Choke Point people who provide legal services to prostitutes. If you're a plumber, you'd danm well better make sure none of your clients are prostitutes or madams.
And all of this is happening in supposedly liberal Tuscon. Such irony.
Cousin Dave at September 21, 2015 7:15 AM
"And all of this is happening in supposedly liberal Tuscon. Such irony."
Ah, but you're confused about the timeline of that definition, "liberal".
Now, it means, "totalitarian".
Radwaste at September 21, 2015 10:27 AM
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