VolusiaExposed.Com was successful in getting VCDPP to comply with Florida Public Records Laws But is VCDPP in full compliance with the law? And if not - are lives being put in danger?
Updated September 28, 2010
“The Arc of the Moral Universe is Long, But it Bends Towards Justice.”- M.L. King, Jr.
UPDATE September 28, 2010 -- VolusiaExposed.Com has once again been successful in enforcing our mission statement - Keeping the public safety employees we trust to enforce our laws, within the law - Daytona Beach Fire Fighter Adam Silva has been removed from the County Jail Mug Shot website in compliance with Florida Statute 119.071 - See our below web page on the situation. VolusiaExposed.Com does NOT condone any alleged illegal behaviors, whether by those that are / were posted on the below website, nor do we condone our public officials not following the laws, in this case, the public records laws of Florida.
However, apparently VolusiaExposed.Com has not been successful in getting the VCSO to review the questionable practices of their Major Case Investigative Unit in regards to recent jail death investigations. VolusiaExposed.Com will continue in our efforts to get some movement on this issue.
Last week (September 22, 2010) VolusiaExposed.Com posted the below web link. Within this web link we questioned whether the Volusia County Department of Public Protection was in compliance with the mandates of the Florida Public Records Law (Florida Statute 119).
VolusiaExposed.Com contacted Volusia County Officials and inquired why certain current and former law enforcement and correctional officers pictures and information were still available for viewing on the jail's mug shot website. Florida Statutes restricts posting personal identifiable information on certain public safety officers, to include their picture(s).
Since posting our concerns - Volusia County officials have removed the mug shots of the three current or former officers that were pointed out to them by VolusiaExposed.Com
Therefore, it appears that VolusiaExposed.Com is fulfilling its goal of keeping the public safety officers we trust to enforce our laws, within those laws.
However, while we are pleased that Volusia County officials have properly responded to our concerns - we believe that they (Volusia County officials) are still out of compliance with the Florida Public Records Law.
Case in point, Fire Fighters are apparently exempted from having their photos posted on these mug shot websites. However, a recently arrested Daytona Beach Fire Fighter's mug shot and personal information is available on the Volusia County Jail mug shot website.
This fire fighter being the very same fire fighter that the local media accused the jail of giving special treatment to. Apparently, the fire fighter was released out of the jail's back door in order to avoid waiting media reporters. VolusiaExposed.Com ran an article on the alleged special treatment incident - see the below web link.
Florida Statutes - 119.071(4) - Does appear to support that fire fighters photos are not to be posted - Doesn't it? The home addresses, telephone numbers, and photographs of fire fighters certified in compliance with s. 633.35; the home addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such fire fighters; and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such fire fighters are exempt from s. 119.07(1).
So why is Fire Fighter's Adam Silva's photo and personal information still being displayed on the jail's website?
As of SEPTEMBER 28, 2010 Fire Fighter Silva's mug shot has been removed from the below website