DRS to Release Names
- By Ken Crowder
- Published 09/24/2009
- Stuff
WACOPS by the Department of Retirement Systems with an alert that they would be releasing personal information on all members enrolled in a state retirement system including LEOFF 1, LEOFF 2, WSP, PERS, SERS, and TERS.
The release of information is to comply with a public records request from the Seattle Times. The data base they are releasing contains the following information:
Member Name
City and Zip Code (no street address)
Date of Birth
Employing agency
Salary
Retirement system – date entered, date withdrawn, monthly benefit
They plan to release the information before the end of the week. I am still waiting for a follow up phone call from DRS confirming exact release date.
After receiving the call from DRS, I contacted the Attorney General’s office. They informed me that DRS was conforming with public disclosure laws and there was not a way to stop the release of the information
WACOPS spoke with the editor of the Seattle Times (James Ness) this morning and was told the following:
The release of information is to comply with a public records request from the Seattle Times. The data base they are releasing contains the following information:
Member Name
City and Zip Code (no street address)
Date of Birth
Employing agency
Salary
Retirement system – date entered, date withdrawn, monthly benefit
They plan to release the information before the end of the week. I am still waiting for a follow up phone call from DRS confirming exact release date.
After receiving the call from DRS, I contacted the Attorney General’s office. They informed me that DRS was conforming with public disclosure laws and there was not a way to stop the release of the information
WACOPS spoke with the editor of the Seattle Times (James Ness) this morning and was told the following:
- They are updating a data base that they have been using since 1997. They use this data base, cross checked with data from cities and counties, for background and verification on articles.
- This data base is an in-house tool and they do not publish the information.
- The data base is kept on a secure server and the information has never been breached or released to the public.
- They understand and are sensitive to the safety issues involved with the release of law enforcement officer information
- The Seattle Times had contacted Steve Nelson and the WSP to let them know of the request.
WACOPS is now on the Seattle Times notification list.
(LEOFF1.Net thanks Ken Crowder and WACOPS for this alert.)
