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Resident asks council to clarify police practice of requesting Social Security numbers during calls
Summary
A resident said officers requested his Social Security number and ran a background check during a recent call; council asked staff to clarify department protocol and report back.
During general comments on March 9, resident Tom McMaster described a recent interaction with police at his home and said officers asked for his Social Security number and ran a background check. He told council he did not believe routine interactions should trigger such checks and asked the city to review the protocol.
"They asked for my Social Security number and ran a background check to see if I had any warrants out just because we had an interaction," McMaster said. He said the request made him uncomfortable and asked whether that practice was necessary on routine calls.
Council members thanked McMaster for raising the concern and asked city staff and the police department to clarify the department's protocol for when background checks and Social Security number verifications are required. The mayor asked staff to report back with an explanation of why the practice is used in some calls and whether changes are appropriate.
Other residents also spoke during the general comment period on a range of topics, and a municipal representative from Rumpke introduced the company and said it plans to bid on future waste contracts. Council committed to providing a clearer statement about the police policy and to follow up with the resident.
