Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Pennsylvania

Providing social security number to police

Without cause (meaning no one charged for anything, only questions over a dispute between neighbors), a policeman asked my daughter for her social security number in front of other people. Was she required to give it to him?


Asked on 7/23/03, 9:53 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Regina Mullen Legal Data Services, PLC

Re: Providing social security number to police

No. Police are not allowed to stop you and simply ask you for detailed personal information. Until they actually succeed in treturning us to 1939 Berlin, curiousity about your citizenship status is not enough to justify that sort of privacy invasion.

Follow up with the local police department and ask what their policies are and on what basis they justify officers harassing people.

It is NOT part of a policeman's duty to randomly ask people personal information. Their job is to "protect and serve," not invade people's privacy without cause. Investigation of crime is a cause, but curiousity is not.

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Answered on 7/24/03, 9:42 am


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