The Deaf Edge

I fired off an e-mail to Chief Kennell about what happened, and she responded to me this morning. See below for her nice and sweet e-mail. I think her answer is pretty disingenuous, since it does not fully explain why the police has to have my social security number.

Ms. Johnson,

Law Enforcement agencies by law, are required to keep all information that they receive confidential. NO ONE gets any of your information. Period. Now, there are times when people file Freedom of Information Act forms on an incident. Even then, any personal information such as dates of birth, addresses, driver’s licenses, social security numbers etc., are all redacted, or blacked out of the report before the report is released. It is our job to obtain information and make sure we are actually dealing with the person who is standing in front of us. We have had a number of people misrepresent themselves. You would be very unhappy if we let someone into your car that had no right to be there however had the correct information on the vehicle and you, the owner.

In the future, you are not required to ask for our assistance. You may certainly contact a wrecker. Please be advised that you are not the only one that is asked for this information. You were not singled out. It is a one of many questions that we ask consistently.

I understand your apprehension about the SS#. However I can assure you that should you run into police officers from any other Department and are reporting something, they will ask for your SS#, the place you work , the hours etc. We have to be able to do our job. Information helps us do that.

Again, you are not required to use out services. I wanted you to know however that there is a confidentiality rule, and the officers keep it. No one will see your information.

If you have any further questions, please let me know. Thanks for sending me your e-mail. Student concerns are important.

Cindy Kennell
Chief of Police
GRCC Police Department

Commentary: I find this response to be spurious for several reasons. They looked at my valid college ID card, and photo-copied my driver’s license. Not only that, but they had half of my license plate number, my DOB, and my address. What more do you need to identify me?!

This is bogus!

I’m a college student at Grand Rapids Community College. I had a very bad day today. My car battery died because I forgot to turn off the headlights this morning. So when I finished classes and went back to my car, my car wouldn’t start.

So my academic advisor and I trotted over to the Campus Police office to request them to jumpstart my car. I filled out the form, and get this – they required my social security number.

They already looked at my college id card and photo-copied my driver’s license. Why is that they need my social security number? Did Congress pass a new law that now the campus police has to have my social security number? If I remember right, the law says only employers are legally entitled to have my social security number!

So I refused to give them my social security number. They told me that they couldn’t jumpstart my car until they had it!

I was pissed off at this point, so I scribbled it on the form. The cop gets even more uppity and says I can’t read it.

o_O So I write it big and bold on another piece of paper. She says perfect.

Now, I want to know why the campus police, after already having my college id card, and license, has to have my social security number. I am asking the president of GRCC, Dr. Juan R. Olivarez and the campus police Chief Cindy Kennell, why do I have to give out my Social Security number so I can get my car jump-started?!

Jeannette Johnson, an outraged Grand Rapids Community College student