by Dr. Radut

Q&A - Why do They Need my Birthdate?

Published by DriveSmartBC -

Q&A ImageWhy does the RCMP call taker make me feel like not ever calling in reports of impaired drivers anymore? (And I am not the only one that has commented on this). I have always felt it as my duty to alert RCMP if there is an impaired driver on the road. I am willing to provide my name, my address, my phone number, and the pertinent details about the vehicle / driver etc. etc. Why does the RCMP need to have my birth date? I hardly think they are going to send me a gift, or anything. The call taker asked me if I was willing to go to court. I replied, “Sure”. She told me that it was then required. I told her that she already had my name, address, and phone number, and I felt that would be sufficient. She accused me of being rude. It’s not about not trying to be a good citizen. It’s about the feeling that the RCMP is going to plug my name into CPIC to see if I am an axe murderer… How should I handle this? I just feel like I won’t bother calling a complaint in next time…

Published by DriveSmartBC - 2009/10/30 - 10:00 | Permalink

It's really too bad that you feel this way. Impaired drivers (and other criminals) need to be stopped and one of the best ways to do this is with the co-operation of the public. Every effort needs to be made to facilitate public help.

When you make a complaint to the police, you never need to do more than relate the circumstances of the complaint. It is not necessary to give your name, address, telephone number or birth date. However, you might be surprised at how many complaints made to the police are less than truthful or even downright deceptive. One job the complaint takers must do is decide on both the validity of the complaint and the priority to assign to it for action by officers on the street.

Their options are limited, but do include asking questions of you to see if what you relate matches what is shown on the enhanced 911 display for instance. If you are reluctant to do so, you may either be a private person or a deceptive one. The operator can't tell but does need to try.

Like it or not, the police are also in the business of information gathering. If you are willing to be a witness, how do they follow up if they don't know who you are? If you do turn criminal down the road, information gathered today helps in later investigation. On the other hand, if you are a person who moves around a lot, doesn't do well at updating friends and family and have a name like John Smith, having a name, address and birth date on file makes it much easier to find you to notify you about a death in the family. Not all police services involve your arrest or are contrary to your interests.

So, the upshot to me is, please continue to report crimes as they happen. Stay on the line if necessary and then decide how much personal information you wish to share. If you don't want to share, don't. If you only want to share some, that's fine too. The choice is yours.

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