HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 20-1977RESOLUTION NO. 20-2'7
CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
A RESOLUTION PROTESTING THE PRACTICE OF
THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES OF
SELLING THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF
CITIZENS UPON REQUEST AND URGING REPEAL
OF THE LAW AUTHORIZING THIS PRACTICE.
WHEREAS, all citizens of the State of California have a right to
privacy and security in their homes, and
WHEREAS, the Department of Motor Vehicles is authorized by Vehicle
Code Section 1810 to sell information from its records concerning the regis-
tration of any motor vehicle, including the name and address of the regis-
trant, as indicated in Exhibit A attached hereto, incorporated by reference
and made a part hereof, and
WHEREAS, the Department of Motor Vehicles does sell such informa-
tion, and
WHEREAS, criminals use such information in selecting victims for
rape and robbery, and
WHEREAS, such information may also be used to find the home address
of Police Officers, subjecting them to harassment and possible threats, and
WHEREAS, such information is used by advertisers for dissemination
of unsolicited junk mail to all citizens, and
WHEREAS, no discernible public purpose is served by the sale of
such information, and
WHEREAS, this practice results in an invasion of the privacy of the
citizens of South San Francisco and all citizens of the State of California,
and
WHEREAS, the law requiring vehicle registrations to be visible from
outside the vehicle having been repealed, to protect said privacy, is being
circumvented by the Department of Motor Vehicles authorized by Vehicle Code
Section 1810;
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of South San Francisco
does hereby resolve as follows:
1. That on behalf of the citizens of the City of South San Francisco,
the City Council objects to the practice described in this resolution and
requests its termination.
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2. That the Mayor be authorized to send to Governor Edmund G.
Brown, Jr., and to the State Senator and Assemblyman'representing
South San Francisco and to Herman Sillas, Director of the Department of
Motor Vehicle a letter urging repeal of the Vehicle Code Section 1810,
attaching a copy of this Resolution and Exhibit A.
I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was regularly
introduced and adopted by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco
at a regular meeting held on the 16th day of February ,
19 77 , by the following Vote:
AYES, COUNCILMEN Richard A. Battaglia, William A. Borba, Emanuele N.
Damonte, Terry J. Mirri and Leo Padreddii
NOES, " None
ABSENT, " None
ATTEST' ~ ~~'~~/-.~-~ '
City Clerk
e
Illlll II 1 lll:l 111 I!
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Can a license plate be hazardous Slaff photo by Phil Coionn~lli
~o your safety?. For 75 cents the will tell you who this young lady'
Department of Motor Vehicles is and where she lives.
Any croo.( can
au/:/our name
By Phil Colonnelli
Sial! writer
Anyone can find oul who you are ~nd where you live
If they've got 75 cents in [heir pocket and know your
car's license number.
And the)' don't even have to provide the Department
of IMolor Vehicles w~th a valid reason [or requesting
the informalion.
Police say the result has been use of the information
for crimina} purposes.
It's :all possible because of Vehicle Code section 1810:
"The department ma)' sell information from its
records concerning the re/;iMration of any vehicle at a
charge sufficien! to pay the actual cos! to the depart-
men! for providing the information."
Thal law has been on the books since
· 'Criminals have known aboul this for many years."
.. says Lt. ]tobcrt Craw. commander of the ]nglewood
Police Deparlmt-.t's crime p~eventit,r, h.reau.
"I'm sure thai the mf. rm;,Imn is u~ed [or many
thin£s." adds C.'arulyu Dali.,)', a:..s~stunt manager of the
I illl ~l II
THE SOUTH BAY DAILY BREEZE
Sunday, September 5, 1976
EYLq IB IT A
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: License
From pag~ A1
"'.Department of Motor Vehicles office in Hawthorne.
:' Thc information about a car's registered owner is a
:*
:. matter of public record and anyone can obtain it.
!: DMV form 44:1 is filled out and 75 cents is given the
'clerk. Within five working days the information is
· mailed and the deparlment doesn't even keep a record
of lhe request.
· To lest the system The Doily Breeze took the license
number and car make of one of its single female
reporters lo the Hawthorne DMV office and completed
· the form.
· . In four days the name and address of the woman was
·
obtained, no questions asked. To say that she was
shock~d to see a state form bearing her tull name and
address would be an understatement.
.The information ha~ been used in the pasl to locate
attractive women seen dri¥ing their cars, police say.
In sexual assaults where the victim does not know
the attacker; police say this is one way victims are
selected and identified.
"There is no question that a person's privacy is being
Invaded," says Lt. Craw. - .... o-
1~. Fie notes that the state Legislature cancelled a
,[vehicle section some years ago that.required all ear
~.egistrations to be visible from outside the vehicle·
"It seems on one hand the law offers protection by
-' removing the registratior, from plain sight in the car
and then takes il away by giving the information out
for a small fee," Craw says.
·
Since the DblV keeps no record o! who requests the
information, it makes it impossible for police to trace a
possible criminal by a backcheck of the license data.
Ironically, when the information request is submit-
ted t° the DMV a form is signed which reads: "! certify'
under penalty of perjury that I have a legitimate and
valid reason for requesting information on the listed
Individ,aal's vehicle and that the information will not be
used for unlawful purposes."
Such :i disclaimer is hardly likely to stop a criminal.
Craw says the only way to get around the probl_-m is
to have a car registered to a POSt office box.
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