Private Investigator Attempts to Serve Complaint on 911 Center

Raw Footage of my attempt to serve the Springfield-Greene County 911 Emergency Communications Center with a complaint for violating the Drivers Privacy Protection Act. 

On June 16, I attempted to file a complaint alleging violations of law by the staff of the Springfield-Greene County 911 Emergency Communications Center. The complaint was the result of an investigation into the agency’s broadcast of protected information over public dispatch channels. During this investigation I uncovered at least 10 occasions in which social security numbers, names, dates of birth, and other personal information were communicated between the 911 call center, Springfield Police Department, and Greene County Sheriff’s Department on non-encrypted channels.

After contacting my attorney, Stephen Wyse, we determined these agencies were violating the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, as well as two Missouri laws the govern the protection of social security numbers against release by government agents. The violations came as a great concern to me because of the amount of identity theft I have dealt with in my 28 years as a private investigator. I believe this recklessly negligent behavior is exacerbated by the fact that anyone in the world with a free police scanner app can collect the information and engage in fraud.

The attempt to serve 911 Emergency Communications was unsuccessful. Members of the Office of Emergency Management, including agency director Larry Woods, informed us that no one from the call center was available to accept the complaint and that the men would have to come back later. Wyse, who specializes in civil rights law, pointed out that it was peculiar that no members of a metropolitan area’s 911 center were available at 2:16 pm on a Friday afternoon.

The complaint was later delivered to 911 Emergency Communications Director Zim Schwartz via email. The department has yet to respond.

Previous Coverage of From Citizens For Justice:

My interview with Citizen For Justice pertaining to the illegal release of personal information by the Springfield Police Department, Greene County Sheriff’s Department, and Springfield-Greene County 911 Emergency Communications Center

Raw footage of my attorney Stephen Wyse and myself delivering a complaint to the Greene County Sheriff’s Department in Springfield, MO. The complaint was to notify the department they were violating the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act by broadcasting social security numbers over a public dispatch channel.