Privacy rights advocates may want to challenge the Houston Press to rethink their recent article hyperventilating over Sheriff Ron Hickman’s decision to remove the rainbow flag logo from the website of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Perhaps Sheriff Hickman doesn’t have a problem with the rainbow flag logo — but maybe, just maybe Sheriff Hickman DOES have a problem with technology that tracks a computer to a person, potentially exposing the HCSO to charges of violating of Federal wiretapping laws, the Fourth Amendment and the invasion of private communications.
Allow me to recap the series of events and elaborate.
The boss wrote this June 5th article titled “Sheriff Ron Hickman doesn’t care much for Adrian Garcia” where he explained what happened during the Downtown Pachyderm Club meeting question time:
“During the questions from the club time, Tom Zakes asked him about the Harris County Sheriff’s office website. Tom told him that on the Contact page for the department, there was a “rainbow” flag and wanted to know if any other “bacon, lettuce, tomato” groups had special consideration.”
The Houston Press subsequently chimed in, going to great lengths explaining why the rainbow flag logo was removed from the HCSO website and why the LGBT liaison program was axed.
“The LGBT Liaison program didn’t have the capacity which you would expect by looking at the website….Those requests were kind of administered ad hoc. Should a request come in, it would be processed around through the department until it could be fulfilled. We already have systems and structures in place through our community services division to take care of those things directly.”
However the Houston Press failed to educate their readers on an issue that privacy rights advocates across political and social spectrums could agree and unite upon.
I give you “Couple can sue laptop tracking company for spying on sex chats.”
“Clements-Jeffrey and her boyfriend, Smith, sued Absolute Software, Kyle Magnus, the city of Springfield, Ohio, and two police officers. The plaintiffs allege that the police violated their Fourth Amendment rights, and that Absolute violated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the Stored Communications Act and intentionally invaded their privacy.”
Maybe, just maybe that “processed around” had too much liability and opportunity for activities, actions & people to abuse that could potentially subject the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to accusations of facilitating the violation of Federal wiretapping laws, such as in a case that allowed an Ohio woman and her boyfriend to sue a laptop-tracking company that recorded their private communications?
And embarrass a LOT of people.
I thought the Houston Press and LGBT family supported privacy rights and following Federal laws—yeesh.
I don’t understand your argument. In one instance, a complaint about prison abuse or discrimination or a request to come speak to a meeting is forwarded around within a department of police professionals. In the other case, a private company, using surveillance technology, publicizes nude photos of a computer thief and/or his girlfriend. How are these two concepts connected? What privacy interest of the person complaining to the sheriff is compromised by sharing their complaint or request within the department?
Big Jolly I usually agree with your point of view. But I call BS on this.
Look at all the recent press on Ron Hickman, all white command staff (racist), then adds Hispanic and Afro Americans after press release.
No women (sexist). Demoted a female Major over the Justice Management Command and the contact for the LGBT community. Who spent most of her career in Detentions to a white male Major who spent his entire career in patrol (who knows what about Detentions?)
Terminated one female Major and split her command between not 1 but 2 Majors.
Then Hickman will say he is replacing the best person for the job?
Fired all the Chaplins, Atheist? No respect for the various religions within the community. If you do your research these programs have been in place since Tommy Thomas.
This is a setback for Harris County one of the most diversified counties in the US.
The good old boy system (white males) should be a thing of the past, but here it is breathing again and Judge Emmitt and County Commissioners are supporting it.
Is this what Harris County is about moving forward.
Perhaps it is time to have a change of guard and replace the County Judge and Commisioner’s Court with forward thinking individuals and retire these old dinasours.
Just food for thoughts.