Police to Get Access to Student Data

[OneBlueSky]

Va. Law Requires Colleges to Give Names for Checks Against Sex Offender List

By Michael D. Shear and Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, June 20, 2006; B01

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/19/AR2006061901429_pf.html

RICHMOND, June 19 -- Virginia's public and private colleges and universities soon will be required to submit the names and Social Security numbers of tens of thousands of students they accept each year to state police for cross-checking against sexual offender registries.

The little-noticed but groundbreaking law is raising concerns among privacy experts about giving police access to a vast new database of student information. They say the data could be stored permanently on hard drives and mishandled, stolen or used for unrelated homeland security or law enforcement purposes.

Passed this year as part of a crackdown on sex crimes and signed by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), the law also requires Department of Motor Vehicles officials to turn over personal information to police any time a Virginian applies for a license or change of address. It goes into effect July 1.

State police officials say they do not plan to retain the student data for long periods, but the provisions will give law enforcement authorities yearly access to information on tens of thousands of students that they must now request on a case-by-case basis when a crime is committed.

- more . . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/19/AR2006061901429_pf.html

[rodeodance]

1. it just gets worse with each passing day!

[Kutjara]

2. How wonderfully efficient.

If only all colleges would do this, the cops wouldn't have to videotape protesters at marches and rallies, then laboriously try to fit names to faces. Instead, they'd have everything they need to harrass and oppress right at their fingertips. If they can get the students' records, too, they can single out the poly sci and philosophy majors before they've even painted their signs.

Soon, through the wonders of modern technology, the police will come right to your door to beat you up, thereby saving you a long bus ride to the march.

[izzie]

4. Got to get that right. The door does not count.

--

[EFerrari]

5. I've been thinking, why do they even need to come to your house

anyway? They potentially have access to every single important piece of information they could possibly want for any reason.

Breaking the door down seems so retrograde. :shrug:

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Oh, CHARMING. "Trust us. It's for the public good." nt

[no_hypocrisy]

6. BWA HA HA HA! A Sweet Briar girl being a sex offender!

Fat chance.

But seriously, this is unconscionable as far as private records go. The colleges and universities will be penalized if they refuse to provide the data and the collection of information will be permanent, years after graduation.