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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2009
Lieu Bill Protecting Law Enforcement Officials Sent to Governor
AB 32 will block online posting of personal information of public safety officials
(SAN FRANCISCO) - Assemblymember Ted W. Lieu (D-Torrance) today announced that the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 32, which protects public safety officials and their families by blocking personal information, like their home addresses, from being posted online. This legislation now heads to the Governor’s desk for signature.
"Public safety officials continually put themselves in harm’s way to protect the citizens of California,” said Ron Cottingham, President of the Peace Officers Research Association. “AB 32 will go a long way in providing public safety officials and their families a level of protection from stalkers and other miscreants who would use the internet to accost us or our families in our own homes."
California has long recognized that public safety officials, by virtue of their role in the justice system, require additional privacy protection from potential risks. However, the Internet has been used as a weapon to find, attack, and even kill public safety officials within the State of California.
"In the past year, several Los Angeles public safety officials were killed at their homes,” said Assemblymember Lieu. “These tragic deaths serve as a reminder of how vulnerable our public safety officials are, even while off-duty at their homes."
AB 32 would enhance existing law to provide simple, cost effective and reliable privacy protections for public safety officials. Specifically, this bill will resolve frequent reposting of information by establishing a duty on the data vendor to maintain a suppression list, cross-reference new information against the list, and prohibit any transfers of that information to another website. Finally, this bill allows law enforcement associations to make requests on behalf of their members to withhold this personal information.
"We are pleased that Assemblymember Lieu is carrying this important legislation that will strengthen rights to privacy and protection for elected or appointed officials, especially within the law enforcement community," said Nick Warner, Legislative Director, California State Sheriffs’ Association.
AB 32 is supported by the California State Sheriffs’ Association, Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, Los Angeles Country District Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles Police Protection League, Los Angeles Probation Officers Union, Peace Officers Research Association of California, Sacramento County District Attorney, and several administrative law judges, attorneys, and hearing officers.