Bill to protect privacy of police officers stalls in Senate

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

A measure that would allow the home addresses of current and former law enforcement officers and judges to be redacted from public property records has stalled in the state Senate amid concerns that it would be abused.

Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) introduced the bill after someone anonymously posted the home addresses of more than a dozen LAPD command officers on the Internet last year.

Santa Clara County Assessor Lawrence E. Stone was among several public officials in the state that opposed the measure saying it would be ‘cost prohibitive to implement and a nightmare to administer.’

It would also hinder the public’s legitimate use of public records for debt collection, tracking parents who evade child support and locating slumlords, the assessor said.

State Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis) also had concerns and shelved the bill in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee she chairs.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Protective League board of directors said in a statement that the bill was needed for law enforcement officers ‘to protect their residences from those who may wish to do them harm.’ However, the league was not hopeful it could be revived this year. ‘Given how late it is in the current legislative session, it’s doubtful anything can be done to keep the bill moving at this time,’’ the statement said.

ALSO:

Ethics panel investigates Senator Mimi Walters

California courts wrestle with budget cuts, old and new

California lawmakers target linking of IDs to test scores

— Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento