AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MAY 2017 21 I n case anyone’s still confused, we’re all under surveillance and all kinds of peo- ple without autho- rized access are looking for dirt on girlfriends, husbands, bosses, students and just about anyone else. The downside of the sur- veillance state – which some call the “deep state” – is that it’s long on data and short on se- curity. InCalifor- nia, former Kern High School Dis- trict Police Chief Joe Lopeteguy has filed a civil lawsuit against the district. Lopeteguy and his lawyers say the district illegally used a criminal database thou- sands of times. The school district had no comment but says it will “vigorously defend itself.” Lopeteguy’s lawyers say he brought the suit to stop the alleged illegal actions by the district but also because they want to straighten out allegations the district made against Lopeteguy after he came forward. “There’s been such se- vere false negative publicity about Joe Lopeteguy and his actions as the Kern High School District police chief, that it’s important for us, as we represent him, to right that by airing the truth so that the public will know what is behind this lawsuit,” attorney Seth O’Dell told KBAK News. O’Dell said Lopeteguy was acting police chief when it became ap- parent that district em- ployees were u s i n g t h e California Law Enforce- ment Tele- communica- tions System, or CLETS, to check on students, staff and teachers. It’s a case where big data meets bad security – at least as far who can access sensi- tive law enforcement re- cords. Attorney Brandon Holla- day says it’s not complicat- ed. CLETS is only supposed to be accessed by certified law enforcement officers for official law enforcement purposes. If you read American Police Beat you know that the use of secure LE databases by cops for unofficial purposes (like checking out new boy- friends of ex-wives and the like) happens too. But this is different. Not only were the people accessing the sensitive info not law enforcement people, it’s unclear what they were doing with the informa- tion and why. It also has been happening for years, Criminal database access for non LE Secure LE Database decades even, according to Lopeteguy and his legal team. “Over 3,500 people had their lives peeked into fur- ther than the school district is allowed to,” Holladay said. So what shall the pun- ishment be for those that looked up people in a data- base they weren’t supposed to have access to? It’s a misdemeanor (or in some cases a felony) to give information obtained through CLETS to someone unauthorized to receive it. At one point, the district accused Lopeteguy of mis- using CLETS himself. But no charges were ever filed against him. “It’s very clear that there was no misuse found in these investigations of CLETS by Joe Lopeteguy,” O’Dell said. Civilians access secure LE info and the penalty is less than a slap on the wrist It’s a case where big data meets bad security – at least as far who can access sensitive law enforcement records. “I have no private life, as I am constantly under police surveillance.” – Ivica Da i Former Prime Minister of Serbia We at Boston Leather, Inc. support those who serve & have served in the law enforcement fields. Let us serve you with only the best quality leather products. HANDCUFF CASES | BADGE HOLDERS | RADIO HOLDERS HONOR GUARD | BELTS | HOLSTERS | CHEMICAL HOLDERS P: (800) 733-1492 | F: (800) 856-1650 | 1801 Eastwood Dr. Sterling, IL 61081 Visit Us Online To Find A Dealer Near You! www.bostonleather.com 6501 Sam Browne Belt 6511 Sam Browne Strap 5030 Flap Holster IN THE U.S.A. C R A F TED WITH P R I D E Photo by Marlow White Uniforms, Inc. HO NO R GU AR D