# Is it legal for a police officer to give out personal information? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169 "2012-03-18T22:48:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/21 "2012-03-19T03:53:20Z")
Real-life medical and legal questions belong in IMHO rather than General Questions. Moved. **samclem** , Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/22 "2012-03-19T04:26:39Z")
A police friend I know mentioned a few years ago that running plates for people was a good way to get yourself in serious trouble. Like has been mentioned, the system logs this stuff, and in his department anyone outside of a certain number of officers who had duties that involved running plates on a regular basis would get looked at pretty closely for just running a random plate. Apparently the reason they were so strict is officers at one point were taking payment (nothing huge, $25-50) to run plates for private individuals (maybe private investigators or something.) I don’t remember all the details, but it became a big thing so they got very serious about trying to control and monitor it. As for the OP’s friend saying something in anger–yeah, I say stuff I don’t mean in anger all the time. However, it’s at the very least directed at someone or something that has actually angered me. Even at my angriest I wouldn’t want to key or fuck up the car of someone who happened to park near my car the same moment I noticed damage to my vehicle. That’s an illogical leap that shows a deep stupidity on top of her deeply idiotic judgment. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/23 "2012-03-19T04:44:25Z")
Why wouldn’t she just report this and submit the evidence to her insurance company? They’ll find out the other car’s insurance company (LEGALLY!), and make them pay for the damages. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/24 "2012-03-19T05:14:06Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Why wouldn’t she just report this and submit the evidence to her insurance company? They’ll find out the other car’s insurance company (LEGALLY!), and make them pay for the damages. No they won’t. There’s no evidence that car caused the damage. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/25 "2012-03-19T13:04:53Z")
Bumpers are meant to be, you know… bumped. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/26 "2012-03-19T14:31:13Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Why wouldn’t she just report this and submit the evidence to her insurance company? They’ll find out the other car’s insurance company (LEGALLY!), and make them pay for the damages. > [@TriPolar](#): > > No they won’t. There’s no evidence that car caused the damage. There is the possibility they could find said evidence, such as matching scrapes on the other car’s bumper. If there isn’t sufficient evidence for them to make the case, then of course that brings us back to not knowing that the other car was responsible. It’s certainly a more reasonable approach than assigning blame to the other car as an unsupported assumption and retaliating directly. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/27 "2012-03-19T15:08:49Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > There is the possibility they could find said evidence, such as matching scrapes on the other car’s bumper. If there isn’t sufficient evidence for them to make the case, then of course that brings us back to not knowing that the other car was responsible. It’s certainly a more reasonable approach than assigning blame to the other car as an unsupported assumption and retaliating directly. Well yes. But she might have trouble also with with her insurance company if she didn’t file a police report. Also, no idea what the extent of damage was. Minor things usually aren’t worth making the claim. It has to exceed the deductible by a reasonable amount or you could see payment increases that exceed the value of the payout. ---
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/28 "2012-03-19T15:50:51Z")
> [@Aurelia](#): > > Was it legal for this officer to give a civilian the personal information of another civilian? I think this is an abuse of his power. If this is illegal, is there anything I can or should do? Certainly it could be criminal, state specific. Although police can run plates for no reason, as it is not a search, such must be for official purposes, not outside conduct. While such here does not rise to the level of attaching a “badge of infamy” to the owner, IMO, it could still be tortious, Invasion of privacy and related torts. If it is criminal, even if a specific Cause of Action for a violation is not in the statute, once can be legally implied. ---
**Author:** ![Jaxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Jaxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaxs)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/29 "2017-07-30T16:48:59Z")
So, I do have a quick question involving this. This is from a Wisconsin law standpoint. An individual, an adolescent, had given an officer officer my name and a location of residence/my workplace as I am a mental health professional. as to the town I live. They wrote the town I live in incorrectly in a transcript but the body cam, transcript, and report was released to an individual who now knows what town I live in and the officer has been feeding this individual with personal informatiom about me as well. Now this other individual knows mmy town of residence. Is there much I can do in this situation as I dont feel my privacy was kept safe. ---
**Author:** ![Jaxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Jaxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaxs)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/30 "2017-07-30T16:50:31Z")
Actually, the officers knew where I lived, the adolescent did not. Rephrase that but the officer put my place of residence in the transcript. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/31 "2017-07-30T16:56:42Z")
> [@Jaxs](#): > > So, I do have a quick question involving this. This is from a Wisconsin law standpoint. An individual, an adolescent, had given an officer officer my name and a location of residence/my workplace as I am a mental health professional. as to the town I live. They wrote the town I live in incorrectly in a transcript but the body cam, transcript, and report was released to an individual who now knows what town I live in and the officer has been feeding this individual with personal informatiom about me as well. Now this other individual knows mmy town of residence. Is there much I can do in this situation as I dont feel my privacy was kept safe. Why are you asking a random message board rather than discussing this with the police or city/town officials? Or a lawyer? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/32 "2017-07-31T15:01:01Z")
> [@Jaxs](#): > > Is there much I can do in this situation as I dont feel my privacy was kept safe. If you’re registered to vote, your home address is already public record. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169/33 "2017-08-04T04:59:28Z")
> [@Aurelia](#): > > There hasn’t been any other behavior from this guy that seems illegal, although from what my friend tells me, he doesn’t seem very mature for someone who’s supposed to protect and serve society. She told me that he cracks jokes about abused children, mentally ill people, etc. These are all people who he’s interacted with as part of his job, and he probably does it to blow off steam, but it still seems inappropriate. For example, he was dealing with a little girl who had been raped, and he later made fun of the fact that she had pubic hair. I think he’s disgusting, but having a sick sense of humor isn’t illegal. I worked around cops as a journalist for years. There’s a distinct subset of them who act like this. Better cops find them embarrassing, and it’s recognized that someone who shows such poor judgement in public is a PR liability in waiting. In good departments, guys like that don’t last real long. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-a-police-officer-to-give-out-personal-information/616169.md?page=1)