Local commissions debate
collection of SSNs by police
I he human rights and
police commissions also
discussed policy for the
EPD’s drug detection dog
By A. Sho Ikeda
Senior News Reporter
The Eugene Police Commission
and the 1 luman Rights Commission
met for their annual joint meeting
Thursday evening and discussed is
sues regarding the Eugene Police De
partment's use of Social Security
numbers as identification for law en
forcement purposes.
The Eugene Police Commission
also approved policy recommenda
tions for Eugene's first drug detec
tion dog since the early 1990s.
Members of both commissions
listened to public concerns of
EPD's current practice of collecting
Social Security information by offi
cers during interactions with com
munity members.
Marion Malcolm, a former mem
ber of the I luman Rights Commis
sion, questioned the necessity of re
questing social security numbers
from individuals during traffic cita
tions, arrests and other contacts be
tween police and the community.
"What 1 do know what (collect
ing Social Security numbers) does is
create intimidation," Malcolm said.
"1 hope that this practice of asking
for Social Security numbers will be
repudiated."
Lt. Rick Siel explained that Social
Security numbers are vital to law en
forcement because as one of four crit
ical personal identifiers — the others
being name, date of birth and driver's
license number — they assist officers
in making accurate identifications
during contact with citizens.
Siel said a person's identity could
be complicated by a number of cir
cumstances. For example, if a person
doesn't have any valid identification
or if the credentials presented don't
seem to match the person's current
appearance, an officer may need ad
ditional information to determine
the individual's identity. For these
reasons, Siel stated, Social Security
numbers offer a unique identifier
that can help determine the identity
of individuals.
Critics of the practice cite concerns
with privacy, potential misuse of an
individual's personal information, li
ability from false arrests and the in
crease of distrust between the com
munity and police officers. Police
officials said they were aware of these
concerns and have taken steps to re
duce disclosure of Social Security
numbers when releasing otherwise
public documents.
"We recognize that we need to bet
ter educate the public and our offi
cers," Siel said.
Police Commission Chairman
Tim Laue approved a motion to dis
cuss the issue in a future jointmeeting
between members of both
commissions.
EPD may request Social Security
numbers as part of a traffic or misde
meanor citation, during a field inter
view or when taking a person into
custody. Individuals may refuse to
disclose their Social Security number
to police, in which case the refusal is
noted in the report.
The Police Commission conclud
ed the meeting by approving policy
concerning Eugene's new drug detec
tion dog, Kyra. Kyra was acquired by
EPD in June from Gresham police
department after it discontinued its
drug detection do program.
Officer I fart told the Police Com
mission in a meeting last month that
Kyra was deployed about 38 times
since August 1, resulting in the ac
quisition of 28 ounces of "controlled
substances" with an estimated value
of $20,000.
Contact the city/state politics reporter
at shoikeda@dailyemerald.com.
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Media critic, pundit
draws laughs, praise
from LCC audience
Jim Hightower draws a
crowd of 700 to LCC to hear
his criticisms of left-and
right-leaning politicians
By Chuck Slothower
News Reporter
Author and liberal pundit lim
Hightower spoke to a packed house
at Lane Community College on
Thursday night as part of the third
annual Peace, Justice and Media
Conference, provoking raucous
laughter and murmurs of agree
ment from the 700-strong crowd.
The cowboy hat-wearing Texan,
on tour to promote his book,
"Thieves in High Places," let loose
with biting criticism of everything
from the Bush administration to
Wal-Mart to media elitism.
"We are gathered here in open
defiance of King George the W,"
Hightower said to considerable
applause. "We want the power to
control the decisions that affect
our lives."
Hightower used his spotlight to
criticize "Bushco, corporate klepto
crats and wobblycrats," Democrats
who Hightower said have "Jell
Oed" instead of aggressively attack
ing the right.
Hightower received an overwhelm
ingly positive response from the pre
dominantly middle-aged crowd.
"It's rare when you get someone
with such humor and insight to get
his point across," said Eugene resi
dent Alan Zelenka. "At the same
time, he's so optimistic."
A former Texas agricultural com
missioner, Hightower sought to
inspire the audience witlrstories of
successful grass roots movements.
He specifically cited a drive in
Glendale, Ariz., that Hightower
said prevented Wal-Mart from
building there.
Wal-Mart "sucks the economic
life out of our communities,"
Hightower said.
Hightower also attacked Wal-Mart's
treatment of women.
"When you reach that glass ceiling
at Wal-Mart, they ask you to Windex
it," Hightower said.
The Bush administration's tax poli
cies also met 1 lightower's acid tongue
"The burden is on the workaday
folks in this country," Hightower
said. "They get the gold mine, we get
the shaft."
Speaking with a Texas drawl, High
tower relentlessly criticized President
Bush, faulting him for failing to
launch a 10-year program for energy
independence in the immediate after
math of Sept. 11, 2001.
Hightower said an aggressive drive
for energy independence — replete
with solar, geothermal and wind pow
er — would lessen the United States'
dependence on the Middle East.
"We would never fight another
oil war in this world again," High
tower said.
A one-man media machine, High
tower urged audience members to cir
cumvent the mainstream media to get
their message out.
"It's just another profit center,"
Hightower said. "The media has be
come the elite."
In addition to his books and ra
dio appearances, Hightower spreads
his message through Hightower
Lowdown, his political newsletter.
Hightower claims it is the biggest po
litical newsletter in America with
100,000 readers.
Hightower, in the tradition of
George Orwell, criticized the political
left as well.
"We did not get (a progressive ener
gy proposal) from the Democrats,"
Hightower said.
Hightower's event was the largest in
the history of Lane Community Col
lege, according to LCC instructor
Steve Candy.
The Peace, Justice and Media Con
ference, sponsored by the Eugene
based Justice Not War Coalition, will
continue through Sunday.
Contact the campus/
federal politics reporter
at chuckslothower@dailyemerald.com.
NEWS BRIEF
University to be featured on
Discovery Channel
Local archaeology, modem tech
nology and old-fashioned 19th cen
tury cannibalism come together Sat
urday night when University research
is spotlighted in a Discovery Channel
program about the Donner Party.
Guy Tasa, an assistant adjunct an
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thropology professor, will be featured
on the show "Unsolved History" us
ing the University's field emission
scanning electron microscope to
study bone fragments from one of
two Donner encampments excavated
this summer. The episode has aired
twice this week and will be repeated a
final time Saturday at 7 p.m.
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Oregon Daily Emerald
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