A Political Action Committee Created For P.I.’s and Security

Today the Senate returned from its spring break recess and tomorrow the House returns.  Still, there is good news on the federal lobbying front that I’m pleased to share with you. 

This newly formed organization is Investigative and Security Professionals for Legislative Action (ISPLA).  I will be working with a number of well-known professional association leaders in the investigative and security fields, each of whom are committed to ensuring that our profession’s interests are protected from ill-conceived legislation and burdensome regulations.

 The leadership of a number of national and state organizations is deeply committed to providing legislative expertise and financial resources to accomplish this important mission.  You are leaders in your respective state associations.  Individual colleagues with whom I have worked shoulder to shoulder on legislative issues in the past have also joined this effort.  I know you will give the same support and commitment to ISPLA. 

ISLPA will be asking various government agencies and Congress to review existing law and take a cautious approach to restricting access and other measures that may have a significant impact on the judicial system, law enforcement and corporate America.  We support the State licensing processes and encourage the enforcement of existing laws, regulations, standards and restrictions governing access to and distribution of personal identifying information.

Still, we expect bills to be offered by members of Congress who are supported by privacy advocates, the ACLU and labor, and bent on curtailing your access to database information under the guise of protecting consumers’ personal identifying information, shielding them from identity theft and Internet phishing, and preventing security breaches.  Such legislation seeking to ban the dissemination of information containing the SSN, has already been offered in the 111^th Congress which would effectively shut down information data providers and eliminate credit headers. 

Redaction of the SSN, as well as the DOB, on public records is another legislative goal of privacy advocates which would block access to critical information.  And there are also bills to expunge criminal records.

For example, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) in March offered H.R. 1529, the “Second Chance for Ex-Offenders Act of 2009.”  The bill calls for the expungement of criminal records for certain nonviolent offenders.

In January, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) introduced H.R. 414, the “Camera Phone Predator Act” It would require any mobile phone containing a digital camera to sound a tone whenever a photograph is taken with the camera’s phone.  In a far fetched stretch, disabling or silencing the tone would purportedly violate a consumer product safety standard and require enforcement by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  Legislative intent is thought by some as a measure to the recent trend of taking “up-skirting” photos with camera phones which would be thwarted by cell phones having to make a clicking sound when taking pictures.

You now have a watchdog organization prepared to protect your interests in your state and nation’s capitols.  When you receive ISPLA’s call for action and support, I hope you will respond.  In the meantime, our members are meeting with organizations in Washington, and with members of Congress to apprise them of the concerns of investigators and security professionals.

Bruce H. Hulme, CFE

ISPLA, Director of Government Affairs

P.O. Box 17128

Arlington, VA 17128

Tel: (212) 962 4054

Email: brucehulme@yahoo.com

NCISS, Past President Board member

ALDONYS, Legislative Director, Past President Board member

Intellenet, Legislative Liaison Board member

Society of Professional Investigators, Legislative Liaison Board member

New York Chapter of ACFE, Legislative Liaison Board member

International Association of Security & Investigative Regulators, Investigative Industry Board member