Interesting article. Why isn't there any info on how stupid the cops were about refusing this stuff?

FTA: "Within 48 hours, the hospital says it tracked down the employee who accessed the hospital records."

Methinks the hospital had a good idea that this shiat was going down the entire time.

Is there a point where "gross dereliction" by a cop becomes tantamount to "accessory before/after the fact"?

That's some fine police work, Lou.

I'm surprised the Secret Service hasn't become involved by now. They're a branch of the Treasury Dept. Aside from protecting the president, their task is to investigate criminal financial fraud like credit card theft, forgery and identity theft.

Another one of those brilliant Blue-Staters.

real shaman: Interesting article. Why isn't there any info on how stupid the cops were about refusing this stuff?

At the end of the article, one of the cops tries to cover for the other one, stating he's a new cop and basically didn't know any better.

TheGreatGildersleeve: Another one of those brilliant Blue-Staters.

You remind me of Colbert's valet after the midterm elections.

"The Democrats have only been in power for 10 minutes, and they've already got us stuck in this unwinnable war!"

/how long has Colorado been a blue state again?
//GWB won twice... hell, Dole won there
///Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others!

One New Year's Eve, we find a hat with some 'magic mushrooms' in it.

We call the police for guidance on how to dispose of them.

They tell us to throw them out at the end of the night.

Then the owner of the hat shows up looking for the hat - and presumably the mushrooms.

Another call to the police, and we're told, "We'll be there shortly."

The owner of the hat bails, and we end up giving the hat (and the mushrooms) to the officer, and we get his business card to give to the owner of the hat if he wants it back.

I might still have the business card...

The guy should have told the cop he saw the guy leaving at 10 mph over the limit, and he'd have jumped over the desk. It seems like all these cops want to do is write tickets.

My son had someone break-in to his house, with truck tire tracks backed-up to the back door. When he suggested to the cops they could make casts of those tracks "to help identify the guy", the cop looked at him like he was crazy and said, "Oh, they only do that stuff on television".

Hey...whoaaaaa
I just had major surgery there in November 2007...I guess I'm damned lucky huh...

/haven't received a call yet
//just ran our credit check
///still OK

Came here for Officer Barbrady picture - left disappointed.

planes: The guy should have told the cop he saw the guy leaving at 10 mph over the limit, and he'd have jumped over the desk. It seems like all these cops want to do is write tickets.

My son had someone break-in to his house, with truck tire tracks backed-up to the back door. When he suggested to the cops they could make casts of those tracks "to help identify the guy", the cop looked at him like he was crazy and said, "Oh, they only do that stuff on television".

ha,ha....Sorry for laughing at your son.

Skawt, I work for the Treasury Dept. I hate to tell you this, but the Treasury Dept really isn't concerned with Identity Theft. Even when we see direct evidence of someone else using your SSN, and the name and address of the perpetrator, we can't do anything about it except tell the victim to call the FTC and file a police report. We're not even allowed to tell them some IS using their SSN, only that "there may be an issue."

planes: My son had someone break-in to his house, with truck tire tracks backed-up to the back door. When he suggested to the cops they could make casts of those tracks "to help identify the guy", the cop looked at him like he was crazy and said, "Oh, they only do that stuff on television".

No, they do it in real life, too. That cop obviously didn't give a shiat.

/forensics student

FTA: Worried about having the documents and drugs, Michael packed it all up and drove straight to the police department,

Would have been better to not touch it and call the cops. Fingerprints and other evidence don't like being shoved into a bag and driven to the Police station.

Oh I get it, the Denver police. You can't expect them to make money for the city if they spend all day taking in garbage from random people. They are very busy mugging the locals to shore up the city budget, not messing with stuff like this.

/they manage what they are measured by

dweezil101: real shaman: Interesting article. Why isn't there any info on how stupid the cops were about refusing this stuff?

At the end of the article, one of the cops tries to cover for the other one, stating he's a new cop and basically didn't know any better.

FTA- Jackson says all officers are trained in the police academy how to recognize and handle identity theft.
And then goes and immediately contradicts himself

Looks like 9news has a Fark filter in their comments section.

Maybe they thought it was related to illegal immigration and would get them in trouble if they acted responsibly.

Why would someone buy the unknown contents of a storage unit at an auction?

planes: The guy should have told the cop he saw the guy leaving at 10 mph over the limit, and he'd have jumped over the desk. It seems like all these cops want to do is write tickets.

My son had someone break-in to his house, with truck tire tracks backed-up to the back door. When he suggested to the cops they could make casts of those tracks "to help identify the guy", the cop looked at him like he was crazy and said, "Oh, they only do that stuff on television".

They only do that if someone is dead and/or has clout.

Would have been better to not touch it and call the cops. Fingerprints and other evidence don't like being shoved into a bag and driven to the Police station.

But then the cops would have found his large stash of heroin and dead bodies.

Skawt: I'm surprised the Secret Service hasn't become involved by now. They're a branch of the Treasury Dept. Aside from protecting the president, their task is to investigate criminal financial fraud like credit card theft, forgery and identity theft.

Actually they are now in Dept of Homeland security which should explain a lot.

Duke of the BumpWhy would someone buy the unknown contents of a storage unit at an auction?

So he can sell it on e-bay.....like the article says he was doing.

Duke of the Bump: Why would someone buy the unknown contents of a storage unit at an auction?

I worked with a guy that did this for extra money and the thrill I think. The storage place needs the stuff out of the way so they can rent the unit to someone that can pay. The high bidder gets the stuff. Sometimes you just get a lot of crap your responsible to have cleaned up by a certain deadline. Other times you get gold.

Besides there is the fascination of going through someone's lost treasure.

Mad Canadian: One New Year's Eve, we find a hat with some 'magic mushrooms' in it.

We call the police for guidance on how to dispose of them.

They tell us to throw them out at the end of the night.

Then the owner of the hat shows up looking for the hat - and presumably the mushrooms.

Another call to the police, and we're told, "We'll be there shortly."

The owner of the hat bails, and we end up giving the hat (and the mushrooms) to the officer, and we get his business card to give to the owner of the hat if he wants it back.

I might still have the business card...

your a dick.

Duke of the Bump: Why would someone buy the unknown contents of a storage unit at an auction?

Seriously? Think about it for a minute. If you can't figure it out still, the very first sentence of the article provides a clue.

Must be more of those 'good' cops I keep hearing about.

planes: The guy should have told the cop he saw the guy leaving at 10 mph over the limit, and he'd have jumped over the desk. It seems like all these cops want to do is write tickets.

My son had someone break-in to his house, with truck tire tracks backed-up to the back door. When he suggested to the cops they could make casts of those tracks "to help identify the guy", the cop looked at him like he was crazy and said, "Oh, they only do that stuff on television".

Yep, they don't make any "income" on solving victim crimes. They'll be all over you for running a red light, DUI, and anything involving a counselor later such as a domestic dispute.
Otherwise they see "no profit in it"

/those Ferengi police officers anyway...

article:"You just expect the hospital to be like the bank. When you give them stuff, it's safe," said Cox. "You trust them to take care of your information, and I was hurt."

Brilliant! And the fact that my dad has been asked questions by his bank before while putting money into his business account, not his personal... accurate questions that he never put in on any of his accounts as what the bank should ask before they can perform an action I might add, makes them all the more secure.

Never mind that the only way they could get the answers to those particular accurate questions is if they got it from the databases of

1) the realtors he's dealt with
2) auto dealerships
3) the cable company
4) etc, etc, etc

yep, banks are secure. cuddle up to your furry bank today. It'll purr you to sleep

This is highly unlikely, but...

Perhaps, in an effort to avoid the process of having to get a warrant and search the premises with only a single spoken tip to cite, the officer wished to "happen by" on a "hunch" and search through the garbage, which is open to the public and it's scrutiny. With this "accidentally" discovered evidence, obtaining a warrant for the persons residence would be much easier, and could be expanded to every nook and cranny of the place. Yay for encouraging self-incrimination!

Mad Canadian: One New Year's Eve, we find a hat with some 'magic mushrooms' in it.

...The owner of the hat bails, and we end up giving the hat (and the mushrooms) to the officer, and we get his business card to give to the owner of the hat if he wants it back.

I might still have the business card...

I think you forgot "Cop does best jam of comfortably numb in the department's history"

Some cops are some incredibly lazy bastards.

When my daughter got her purse stolen at college, she reported it to the local cops. She got a call from the local Walmart a few hours later when someone was trying to buy a computer with her credit card. Walmart had the whole thing on surveillance video. The cops refused to go to Walmart and check out the video citing "privacy issues."

After I got done telling the police chief that his entire department was a bunch of useless farks, the a-hole suggested that I may never want to visit that city again.

VeryRarely: Skawt, I work for the Treasury Dept. I hate to tell you this, but the Treasury Dept really isn't concerned with Identity Theft. Even when we see direct evidence of someone else using your SSN, and the name and address of the perpetrator, we can't do anything about it except tell the victim to call the FTC and file a police report. We're not even allowed to tell them some IS using their SSN, only that "there may be an issue."

Sorry, but I think I'll believe the actual US Secret Service (new window) over some anonymous person on Fark:

"Criminal investigations can be international in scope. These investigations include: counterfeiting of U.S. currency (to include coins); counterfeiting of foreign currency (occurring domestically); identity crimes such as access device fraud, identity theft, false identification fraud, bank fraud and check fraud; telemarketing fraud; telecommunications fraud (cellular and hard wire); computer fraud; fraud targeting automated payment systems and teller machines; direct deposit fraud; investigations of forgery, uttering, alterations, false impersonations or false claims involving U.S. Treasury Checks, U.S. Saving Bonds, U.S. Treasury Notes, Bonds and Bills; electronic funds transfer (EFT) including Treasury disbursements and fraud within the Treasury payment systems; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation investigations; Farm Credit Administration violations; and fictitious or fraudulent commercial instruments and foreign securities."