“Show Me”
Recently the Missouri Highway Patrol was asked by unnamed Federal officials to give them a full listing of Missouri concealed carry permit holders. The request was apparently a verbal one; no written request seems to exist.
Regardless, the full list of roughly 185,000 Missouri concealed carry permit holders was obtained by the Missouri Highway Patrol – and apparently provided by them to Federal authorities – on two occasions. The first time was November 2011; the second, January of 2012. At some point, the list may have been briefly posted to the Internet as well.
According to Missouri State Senator Kurt Schaefer, the apparent rationale for requesting the list was so that “they (presumably Federal authorities) can match up anyone who had a mental diagnosis or disability with also having a concealed carry license”. The list was allegedly provided to the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
Missouri is “the Show Me state”. But somehow, I just don’t think that motto is supposed to apply to any and all random questions asked by Federal officials regarding personal information protected by Missouri state law.
Needless to say, the implications of this blatant misconduct by both Federal and Missouri State officials are deeply disturbing.
Still think the police are your friends?
@1 Nope, never did and never will….individual cops are like individual humans they can be noble and heroic (I know some great police officers)….but just like all other humans herd them together and you get a sort of go along to get along with the herd vibe that they all abide by during their daily duties.
When you actually hear a police officer talk about “them” and realize he means you and every other non-LEO it is a most interesting insight into the world view the police develop over time. I understand it’s because they deal with sh1tbags every day, but not everyone is a sh1tbag lumping every non-LEO into a single category is a simple way of dehumanizing every one other than your colleagues. That’s a classic propaganda move to make doing illegal or immoral things to those dehumanized individuals easier.
I’m so glad I live in a state where shit like that is illegal.
Well, I read the original article from the Missouri newspaper – an interesting read, because it was SUPPOSED to be in regard to SocSec disabilities fraud, but toward the end of the article the state legislators point out the ease with which residents are subject to identity theft.
I found this part very interesting:
State law bars the [Missouri] Department of Revenue from implementing the federal Real ID Act. The procedures adopted for Missouri licenses mirror Real ID Act requirements. State law also mandates that concealed weapons permit data is confidential.
Also, the article says the transfer of data was done by a mid-level supervisor with no notification to the head of the Missouri DMV. Now, personally, if some Fed asked for that without a court order, or even with one, I’d go right to the top guy and ask “do we do this and hang people out to dry?”
But that’s just me.
I’d also like to point out that if you’re investigating Social Security disabilities fraud, you don’t need driver’s license information. You only need info from the Social Security’s local offices.
now I’m not a lawyer or anything but here’s how I’m taking this. the hwy patrol released the info against state law -twice- with no warrant being presented. So basically 183k people had their privacy violated without just cause. now, had the SSA presented a warrant and/or a list of possible frauders(?) to the hwy patrol and asked them to cross reference with the CCW database, that would have made vastly
more sense than this wholey inept dragnet approach. The hwy patrol also denied on atleast two occasions to providing the info, so there is some serious need of punishment in order for these guys. my cynicism keeps me believing that it will happen though. I’m thoroughly disgusted by this overreach and ashamed to live in this state right now.
@3
It is illegai in Missouri to release this information. Of course no one will be prosecuted.
@3 Montana just made it illegal to publish that info, but I’ll have to find out if they can still hand it off to the feds.
now there is talk of not funding the DOR and putting CCW permits completely in the hands of the county sheriffs if the legislature will agree to help fund it