Thursday, February 3, 2011

Thanks for the support

I would like to express my appreciation to the many readers who send me emails and letters of support. I appreciate them very much, and I understand completely why you don't post comments on this blog.

The fears of retaliation are strong. You need your jobs - absolutely. So I thank you.

Who can provide me with information about any use of unauthorized, illegal GPS tracking devices on employees' vehicles? Whatever would give a supervisor or member of the command staff of a sheriff's department the impression that he could order or allow a GPS tracking device to be placed on an employee's vehicle, except by court order?

Was there ever a law enforcement or civil rights investigation of such an action?

9 comments:

Steve said...

Once again, or rather yet again, your ignorance is in full view. You inquire about unauthorized, illegal GPS tracking devices on cars OWNED by the sheriff's office. Here's a tip, Gus. The owner of the vehicle has an absolute right to place a GPS on the vehicle with or without the permission of the employee. The employer also has the right to monitor the e-mails, etc. What would give the supervisor the impression? The simple fact that there is no law prohibiting that activity. "That which is not prohibited by the law, is permitted." You should know that or is that why your paralegal career was so short-lived?

Justin said...

Gus, now I know that this group of malcontents you use as ‘sources’ are feeding you El Toro Poopoo. The GPS units are to enhance the squad response and are an integral part of the (CAD) computer aided dispatch. Most technological advanced agencies have been using GPS for many years. Please do some research before you make such stupid statements.

The do nothings don't want GPS because then it can detail where they are hiding and shows they are not doing anything except avoiding work. Unions fight them becuase UNIONS defend the do nothings. GPS is a employer right.

In many situations an emergency could be situated within a patrol district and see via the location of the squads that the squad in the next bordering area is closer.

Require a court order? Did you chew on to much paint as a kid or are you are just showing you stupidity. Let me think, employer provided car, employer owned car, deputy hired to perform a specified duty. If you don’t like the working rules and responsibilities, go sell shoe

Major trucking companies have been using GPS units for years to track movement of cargo and also to monitor their drivers.

Gus said...

Steve and Justin, will you please re-read the third paragraph in the article?

Please note that I was not referring to a vehicle owned by the sheriff's department.

Let's say a captain installed a GPS tracking device on your personal vehicle and then began questioning you about your driving pattern or destination.

How would you respond?

Steve said...

Again, subject to state law, it may or may not be permissible. AFAIK, Illinois has not made a call on it. A case for it being illegal could be made if, to install the device, the police had to trespass into the vehicle owner's property. To place such a device where there is no connection other than the placement (magnetic?) is not illegal, per se.

Wiggle some more, do your homework and come back and tell us you were just talking about some sheriff's department in another state. Yeah, that will fly.

Gus said...

That's good, Steve. Tell me where you park and what kind of car you drive. I think I'll stick a magnetic GPS tracking device on your car for a month.

OK with you? Actually, I don't care if it's okay with you. Since it's not illegal, I guess you can't stop it.

Zane said...

Give me a call Gus. I have the info you are looking for. The GPS incident happened some years ago. To set the record straight, the GPS device was placed on the employee's PERSONAL vehicle. Not a squad car.

I have spoken with the employee in question and he/she is going to testify if need be. I can get you in touch with the person.

When you get a chance check out the most recent filings in the Federal Court Case. It should give you a lot to write about.

Notawannabee said...

Admit it Gus, you goofed. You were not talking about personal vehicles when you wrote your blog entry. I have never heard of nor would I know of any reason the Sheriff would want to use GPS on employee’s personally owned vehicles. It is done in some specific criminal investigations but here you misunderstood the ramblings of your malcontent inside sources.

In your world of fanaticism you are always trying to portray Nygren, the Sheriff’s Office as some evil Orwellian oligarchy. You jumped to a terribly wrong conclusion.... admit it. Of course you’ve never done that before have you? Oh what about the arrest bounty? Anymore on that jewel of misinformation ?

Regarding GPS tracking, did you know that if you use a smart phone such as an I-Phone or Android, unless you turn off the GPS tracking anyone can determine where you are? Yes it's true, especially those users that post photos and use social sites such as Twitter. People download Apps that are constantly updating location information. If people read the information about the apps they are installing, it clearly discloses this function.

Orwell is having a big belly laugh now. I better go dust off my copy of 1984. Well back out to the pool to get some sun, maybe I’ll wax the car. Oh I hear the weather up there is frightful.

Gus said...

A business owner sent me this comment via e-mail:

"That just seems incredibly illegal…and stupid! My company has trackers on company vehicles, but they are our vehicles….service, delivery, etc. not for personal use. I would never approve of putting such a device on an employee’s car! In a highly competitive environment, if we had suspicions about what an employee was doing, we may engage a private investigator through our attorney who may do something like that these days (the last time I had to do that, they just followed him around and discovered he was divulging confidential and sensitive corporate information)."

Justin said...

I just reread the 'ARTICLE' as you call it; I prefer to call them “speculative tangents.”

Since the deputies drive assigned vehicles as do most Sheriff Agencies and many police departments, the use of the term "employee’s vehicles" connotes their assigned vehicle. In my wildest imagination I could never think of associating the use of GPS on employee vehicles as other than their assigned vehicles.

Remember Johnnie Cochran, the late attorney who was part of the O.J. Simpson Dream Team? He successfully defended OJ in the murder trial?
I never respected the man however he was a highly skilled trial lawyer. One of his quotes is worth considering today, "If you cannot trust the messenger, you cannot trust the message!"

Gus, your credibility is zero. Please remind me if any of your speculative tangents has become true.