California Police Misused State Databases Over 7,000 Times in 2023
by James Mills
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alifornia law enforcement agencies violated rules governing access to criminal justice databases 7,275 times in 2023, according to records obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (“EFF”). These violations highlight systemic issues in the oversight of sensitive data systems, raising concerns about privacy and accountability.
California imposes strict limitations on the use of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (“CLETS”), a statewide database that provides law enforcement with access to criminal records, driver’s license information, and other sensitive data. Officers are prohibited from using CLETS for personal purposes, such as researching concealed carry permits, enforcing immigration laws (under the California Values Act of 2019), or gathering information for private gain, including business opportunities, romantic pursuits, or harassment.
The EFF report details several egregious examples of misuse. In 2021, a Redding police officer accessed CLETS to obtain information about his fiancée’s ex-husband and conducted a traffic stop on the man, resulting in the impoundment of the victim’s vehicle. The officer was later charged with six misdemeanors. That same year, a Madera police officer pleaded guilty to retrieving private details about a citizen from CLETS and sharing the information with an unauthorized individual. The department acknowledged the officer’s actions as “absolutely inappropriate” but declined to provide further details.
In another case, a California Highway Patrol officer was charged after using CLETS to access vehicle information for an automotive business.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department accounted for the vast majority of violations, with 6,789 incidents—more than 93% of the total. In response, the department stated that it has retrained all staff on state policies and implemented new procedures to address noncompliance. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Police Department failed to provide required data on CLETS violations for 2023, despite documented allegations of misuse.
While these violations are alarming, they likely represent only a fraction of the problem. Most law enforcement databases operate with minimal oversight and lack mandatory reporting requirements for abuses. As a result, the vast majority of improper access incidents and criminal violations go unreported and uninvestigated.
Source: eff.org
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