He doesn't have to do anything to find her address.
It's on her licence and of course rape is not acceptable but then rape is not at all like leaving a single polite note.
He did do something to find her address. He took her license to his car and looked it up. The law is clear. The address can only be obtained and used to purposes that do not include driving to her house to then leave a note on her car in a crowded parking lot, to ask her out.
Really, it's not that hard to understand, is it?
Nor is it an invasion of privacy.
Nor is it threatening or stalking.
You do not think a police officer jotting down someone's address to use for his own benefit and gain (ie, asking her out), an address he obtained in the course of his work, is a breach of privacy? You don't think leaving a note on a woman's car, reminding her he was the officer who pulled her over and gave her a ticket might be construed as a threatening action? And you don't think driving to her residence, walking around the carpark to find her car to leave the note, with the address he was illegally using, is tantamount to stalking?
Righteo..
It's a single polite note.
Who gives a shit if it was polite?
It shouldn't have been there in the first place.
He pulled her over and thus gained access to all of her personal information under the threat of the law. Had she refused to provide him with her information, she would have been arrested. He then used that information to find out where she lived.
The politeness of her note is beside the point.
She had no option but to provide him with her drivers licence and her car registration information. Failure to do so would have been illegal and she would have been arrested. He then uesd that information for his own personal gain. And you think that is acceptable?
You guys are trying to make simple normal human interaction illegal.
It is "simple normal human interaction" for a police officer to, with the full weight of the law behind him and with the power to detain and arrest a person, to obtain her personal and private information, which the law clearly states he cannot then pass on, nor can said information be used for anything aside from what would be termed 'police business', which he then used to drive to her residence, walk through the crowded car park to find her car and leave a note on her windscreen to tell remind her that he was that big police officer who gave her that ticket and to tell her he can't stop thinking about her and to have dinner with him? Really?
This is what you're going with?
He had no legal right to use the information he gathered in the course of his employment to then use for his own benefit. His keeping her address, which he obtained while on duty, is a breach of privacy. What? Are there no privacy laws in the US? This woman does not have a Constitutional right to privacy, which would cover police officers keeping her address so he could go to her house and ask her out?
Do you never leave your house?
Is there no world for you beyond the internet?
Yes, I do leave my house, daily. I also have a very full and interesting life beyond the internet and I also know a lot of police officers, many of whom I have known for years due to what I used to do for a living. And I can assure you, what this police officer did is not acceptable, nor is it even legal. There are strict codes and regulations which cover people's privacy, for example, and let me put it this way, if a police officer did that where I live, he'd be fired and most probably charged.
Indeed, it's all about disclosure to others.
And he didn't disclose her information nor did he make it available to any person or entity.
The statute actually states that the information cannot be disclosed to others and the code also states clearly the specific uses permitted by Government agencies, such as the police. In fact, the
Driver’s Privacy Protection Act is quite clear. Section 2722 (a) states:
"It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to obtain or disclose personal information, from a motor vehicle record, for any use not permitted under Section 2721(b) of this Title.”
Now, shall we look at what is permitted (and not permitted) under Section 2721(b) of the Act?
(b) Permissible Uses. - Personal information referred to in
subsection (a) shall be disclosed for use in connection with
matters of motor vehicle or driver safety and theft, motor vehicle
emissions, motor vehicle product alterations, recalls, or
advisories, performance monitoring of motor vehicles and dealers by
motor vehicle manufacturers, and removal of non-owner records from
the original owner records of motor vehicle manufacturers to carry
out the purposes of titles I and IV of the Anti Car Theft Act of
1992, the Automobile Information Disclosure Act (15 U.S.C. 1231 et
seq.), the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), and chapters
301, 305, and 321-331 of title 49, and, subject to subsection
(a)(2), may be disclosed as follows:
(1) For use by any government agency, including any court or
law enforcement agency, in carrying out its functions, or any
private person or entity acting on behalf of a Federal, State, or
local agency in carrying out its functions.
(2) For use in connection with matters of motor vehicle or
driver safety and theft; motor vehicle emissions; motor vehicle
product alterations, recalls, or advisories; performance
monitoring of motor vehicles, motor vehicle parts and dealers;
motor vehicle market research activities, including survey
research; and removal of non-owner records from the original
owner records of motor vehicle manufacturers.
(3) For use in the normal course of business by a legitimate
business or its agents, employees, or contractors, but only -
(A) to verify the accuracy of personal information submitted
by the individual to the business or its agents, employees, or
contractors; and
(B) if such information as so submitted is not correct or is
no longer correct, to obtain the correct information, but only
for the purposes of preventing fraud by, pursuing legal
remedies against, or recovering on a debt or security interest
against, the individual.
(4) For use in connection with any civil, criminal,
administrative, or arbitral proceeding in any Federal, State, or
local court or agency or before any self-regulatory body,
including the service of process, investigation in anticipation
of litigation, and the execution or enforcement of judgments and
orders, or pursuant to an order of a Federal, State, or local
court.
(5) For use in research activities, and for use in producing
statistical reports, so long as the personal information is not
published, redisclosed, or used to contact individuals.
(6) For use by any insurer or insurance support organization,
or by a self-insured entity, or its agents, employees, or
contractors, in connection with claims investigation activities,
antifraud activities, rating or underwriting.
(7) For use in providing notice to the owners of towed or
impounded vehicles.
(8) For use by any licensed private investigative agency or
licensed security service for any purpose permitted under this
subsection.
(9) For use by an employer or its agent or insurer to obtain or
verify information relating to a holder of a commercial driver's
license that is required under chapter 313 of title 49.
(10) For use in connection with the operation of private toll
transportation facilities.
(11) For any other use in response to requests for individual
motor vehicle records if the State has obtained the express
consent of the person to whom such personal information pertains.
(12) For bulk distribution for surveys, marketing or
solicitations if the State has obtained the express consent of
the person to whom such personal information pertains.
(13) For use by any requester, if the requester demonstrates it
has obtained the written consent of the individual to whom the
information pertains.
(14) For any other use specifically authorized under the law of
the State that holds the record, if such use is related to the
operation of a motor vehicle or public safety.
(c) Resale or Redisclosure. - An authorized recipient of personal
information (except a recipient under subsection (b)(11) or (12))
may resell or redisclose the information only for a use permitted
under subsection (b) (but not for uses under subsection (b)(11) or
(12)). An authorized recipient under subsection (b)(11) may resell
or redisclose personal information for any purpose. An authorized
recipient under subsection (b)(12) may resell or redisclose
personal information pursuant to subsection (b)(12). Any authorized
recipient (except a recipient under subsection (b)(11)) that
resells or rediscloses personal information covered by this chapter
must keep for a period of 5 years records identifying each person
or entity that receives information and the permitted purpose for
which the information will be used and must make such records
available to the motor vehicle department upon request.
(d) Waiver Procedures. - A State motor vehicle department may
establish and carry out procedures under which the department or
its agents, upon receiving a request for personal information that
does not fall within one of the exceptions in subsection (b), may
mail a copy of the request to the individual about whom the
information was requested, informing such individual of the
request, together with a statement to the effect that the
information will not be released unless the individual waives such
individual's right to privacy under this section.
(e) Prohibition on Conditions. - No State may condition or burden
in any way the issuance of an individual's motor vehicle record as
defined in 18 U.S.C. 2725(1) to obtain express consent. Nothing in
this paragraph shall be construed to prohibit a State from charging
an administrative fee for issuance of a motor vehicle record.
Now, we know he obtained her personal details during the course of his duty (took her licence to his vehicle and looked up her details in her car - ie accessed her information in the database), which is legal. We also know he then used that information to go to her house and leave a note on her windscreen asking her if she wants to go out with him (which, well, I know this will come as a shock to you), is actually not what is permissible under the
Act. In other words, what he went on to do with that information is not permissible under the law.
And I have to say, I am shocked Arthur that you could so wilfully support this very obvious breach of the law by a police officer.