Protecting Yourself and Your Family
American Military University (AMU) recently hosted
Request Information Be Removed
During the webinar, Deater discussed ways that
a webinar on this topic as part of its Law Enforcement
officers can proactively remove personal information
Presenter James Deater, who spent more than 23 years as a
included specific details about what forms to submit, what
Webinar Series (www.AMUonline.com/LEwebinars).
Maryland State Trooper specializing in wiretaps and other
forms of electronic investigation techniques, provided
advice for how officers can protect themselves.
“Any officer could end up in a situation where you
do everything right in accordance with agency policy, but
the incident is captured on video and it looks wrong to the
public. It happens all the time and as soon as your name is
released to the public, you become a target,” said Deater.
“You may not be able to stop it, but you can at least make it
difficult for people to find your private information.”
Here are some recommendations Deater made about
how to protect your personal information:
• Be aware of security and privacy settings on
your accounts. Be selective about who you share
information with and limit how often you post
about your location (especially if it’s your home).
• Routinely update computers, devices, and software
with the latest security fixes.
from the dozens of websites that sell this information. He
identification documents to send, and how long it will take
for information to be removed. To request access to the
recorded webinar, please send an email (using your agency
email address) to James Deater ([email protected]).
Here are a few sites to consider removing your
information from:
• Google Earth (www.google.com/earth)
This free software allows individuals to access
street views of locations. Deater recommends that
officers submit a request that Google blur out
your home, house number, vehicle, and any other
identifying details shown on Google Earth.
• SPOKEO (www.spokeo.com)
• PIPL (www.pipl.com)
• ZoomInfo (www.zoominfo.com)
• Whitepages (www.whitepages.com)
• CheckPeople (www.checkpeople.com)
• Use anti-virus software.
• BeenVerified (www.beenverified.com)
• Pay close attention to links and attachments in
• Intelius (www.intelius.com)
email messages. Do not open anything that looks
even remotely suspicious. If it’s legitimate, the
person can always send it again.
• Add protection to your email, social media,
and online bank accounts using two-factor
authentication techniques.
• Choose unique, strong passwords for each of your
accounts and change your passwords regularly.
• Remember that anything you post on social media
might be used against you. Once it’s online, you
cannot take it back.
It can take a considerable amount of time and effort
to properly submit the forms, especially if officers are also
removing their spouses and children from such databases.
However, the time it takes to remove this information is
worth it to protect—or at least deter—a malicious attack on
an officer and his or her family. ■
About the Author: Leischen Stelter
is the editor of American Military
University’s premier blog, In Public
Safety (www.inpublicsafety.com). She
writes about issues and trends relevant
to professionals in law enforcement,
corrections, fire services, emergency
management, and national security.
WINTER 2015 |