September 14, 2010
United States Department of Justice
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 940
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Re: CPCLO Order No. 004-2010
To Whom It May Concern:
In contemplating the proposed rules that will provide exemption from certain aspects of the Privacy Act of 1974, it is quite apparent that the grounds for the exemptions are necessary and reasonable. It would be quite foolish to inform a potential suspect of an investigation and disclose the existence and contents of a file that contains crucial information to the investigation. While it can be safely presumed there are internal controls that address improper use of information and records in spite of the immunity provided by the exemptions in this proposal, it may be a good idea to make those controls explicit within the proposal itself.
Surely the Federal Bureau of Investigation enjoys an exemplary record of service to this nation. However, historically there have been a few blemishes due to the behavior of some powerful politicians and compliant agents. Such errors have caused the public to be more sensitive to increased government power, especially to those organizations that have the power to take freedoms away and impose heavy sanctions.
Therefore, it would be wise to assure the public that although agents of the FBI will enjoy a certain degree of immunity while they properly conduct investigations, there are still systems in place to address violations of pertinent laws and department policies. Listing those laws and policies, along with the potential penalties, within the rule proposal will make them explicit and perhaps address the concerns of the public while reminding agents of the great responsibility they have to fulfill their duty while protecting people’s liberties.
Sincerely,
Robert Rose
Robert Rose
Doctoral Student – University of La Verne
4526 Belford Way
Riverside, CA 92507
Comment on FR Doc # 2010-21247
This is comment on Proposed Rule
Privacy Act; Systems of Records
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Public Submission Posted: 09/17/2010 ID: DOJ-LA-2010-0009-0002
Sep 30,2010 11:59 PM ET