Dayton police chief charged with data abuse against fellow town official

The police chief of the city of Dayton Dick Pietrzak, a former Minneapolis cop, has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of abusing private data for looking at records for the community's former city administrator, according to the Star-Tribune. The city administrator has since been fired before the end of her term by the Dayton City Council. I'm not a lawyer, but if I were her, I'd be considering a retaliation lawsuit myself. Dayton taxpayers, hold on to your wallets. This can't end well.

Woman from KSTP-TV claims data abuse by more than 100 cops

According to the Star-Tribune, KSTP-TV investigative producer Beth McDonough has filed suit in federal court claiming that more than 170 law enforcement employees from more than 40 agencies have illegally viewed her private driver's license data more than 500 times in total. Further, she claims that she was warned about the abuse by Minnesota's public safety commissioner Mona Dohman years ago when Dohman served as police chief for the city of Maple Grove and heard cops discussing private information about her among themselves.

Even police union lawyer not immune from data abuse

If you've been following the story of cops abusing driver's license data, you might not be surprised about whose data they have been willing to abuse given that past reports have included fellow cops, supervisors, and private investigators. Even so, this week's allegations by a former lawyer serving a police union demonstrates that virtually no one has been off-limits from this illegal behavior.

According to Twin Cities.com, Brooke Bass who spent six years defending the interests of law enforcement officers for the state's largest police union had her private data accessed more than 700 times by more than 100 entities, primarily law enforcement agencies, across Minnesota. While Bass has not yet filed lawsuits, she has made claims to various agencies. Under state and federal statutes, she is believed to be entitled to damages ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 per violation, which means she could ultimately be the largest claimant to date in this matter.

When will violators be held legally and financially liable for this behavior rather than making taxpayers bear the burden? If even their own lawyer wasn't safe, who is?

Private investigator files suit for data abuse

Yet another lawsuit has been filed against various governmental entities for abuse of the state's driver's license database. The Star-Tribune reported that Hilary DeVary is suing over a reported 166 accesses of her private data. Eleven law enforcement agencies, two state departments, and a federal agency are involved. Many of the unauthorized accesses occured after a newspaper article was published about DeVary seven years ago.

Legislative auditor issues report on data abuse by public officials

The Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor has issued a lengthy report on statewide abuses of databases containing private data by public officials. The report details the types of databases available, authorized and unauthorized uses, patterns of misuse, recommendations for change, and considerable other information discovered by the authors.

New lawsuit over improper data access

The Star-Tribune reported on February 15 that another lawsuit has been filed for improper data access by a public employee. In this case, it's related to an unnamed Minnesota Department of Human Services employee who accessed data improperly more than 1,100 times. The suit is requesting class-action status and brings to a total nine separate suits that have been filed in the matter.

DNR official charged for massive privacy violations

A former Department of Natural Resources administrative manager who accessed private data more than 19,000 times over five years has been criminally charged with crimes including misconduct of a public employee, unauthorized computer access, unlawful use of data, and using encryption to conceal a crime, according to TwinCities.com.

John Austin Hunt, 48, of Woodbury was Thursday, Feb. 7, in Ramsey County District Court accused in six misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors. Olson reportedly looked up more than 5,000 individuals, more than 90 percent of whom where women including many other public officials and local celebrities. Hunt was a manger in the DNR's enforcement division.