The Police take an Interest in your Life. They collect your personal information, and then they lose it. Don’t worry, we found it!

You are in the market for a new home. You’re a professional starting a new job. You’re busy with the logistics of moving your family and getting to work in your new career. You go through a broker, buy your home, relocate the family, and all seems well.

Your home purchase comes back to haunt you more than ten years later. Your most personal data is being collected by law enforcement simply because of the house you bought.

Today you will meet a gentleman who purchased a home from former Homestead Mayor Steve Shiver. That purchase more than a decade earlier caused him to be included in an inventory of data. Personal information was collected on citizens who were perceived as enemies or associated with enemies of the city.

The three systems you will see today are DAVID (Drivers and Vehicle Information Database), FCIC (Florida Crime Information Center), and NCIC (National Crime Information Center). All are law enforcement-specific databases that can be used to probe your life. Think of them as FBI/Police Google.

DAVID

Below is a Florida law enforcement database that gives police access to your address, driver’s license number, medical, disability information, social security number, date of birth, vehicle information, and emergency contact information.

This DAVID report is for someone considered a person of interest to Homestead Police.

Pictured above are the DAVID Photo array and Signature Array, available to law enforcement. Each time you renew your driver’s license, the state captures a new photo and signature. What is shown here is this person’s entire history of photos and signatures on file with the state.

It is important to note that this data was found on thumb drives in the City of Delray Beach. Delray Beach officials completed the redactions required by law before releasing after an inquiry with the Florida Attorney General’s Office. And I redacted the rest of the document concealing this person’s identity. No need to be twice a victim.

DAVID is mighty by itself, but the information returned from this state database will be used in other places to explore this person’s life much deeper.

FCIC

FCIC is used to find any driver’s license suspensions or misdemeanor arrest history in Florida. In this case, there are no arrest records in Florida, and the driving record is clean. So they move on to a multi-state search.

NCIC

A multi-state NCIC search for information using a purpose code “C” may have returned something on this individual. Investigators will now communicate directly with Cobb County, Georgia, to verify a possible old arrest file.

Purpose Code “C”

After a National database search, Homestead Police have narrowed the search to Georgia. They are now communicating directly with Cobb County, Georgia, Authorities attempting to gather data on a possible past arrest involving Homestead’s person of interest. The data they are looking for is retrieved and sent by Cobb County, Georgia, to Homestead via NCIC to be used in the Investigation. The problem is; that there is no investigation!

Let’s Peel the Onion.

What information was collected in the various database searches?

• Extensive Driver’s License information, including signature and photo arrays. Very dangerous in the wrong hands.
• Possible law enforcement-specific information from another state.
• Emergency contact information (family member) is listed with the state. (The dissemination of emergency contact information violates the Florida State Constitution.)

So, where is the data?

Although Cobb County believed an investigation was underway, there was no criminal investigation. It was all part of an information-gathering exercise ordered by Homestead City Manager George Gretsas.

Once in the hands of Homestead police, the data was transferred to thumb drives and moved out of law enforcement control. The information was then used in a city hall propaganda campaign. But where is it now?

At least one city resident now has his personal information traveling freely via “Thumb-Drive.” Information that is only obtainable by law enforcement. Could there be more?

I leave you with unanswered questions…

• How many other victims could be out there?
• Is this considered a data breach?
• How many unsuspecting local people in our community possibly have their most confidential information traveling via thumb drive?

Thank you so very much for taking the time to follow our story. We appreciate you and hope you have a wonderful weekend!!