An Action News Jax Investigation uncovered local officers were caught misusing a statewide database more than a dozen times last year.
That database contains your personal information.
Florida’s Driver and Vehicle Information Database, known as DAVID, gives law enforcement officers access to driver’s license photos, driving records, the make and model of drivers’ vehicles, and more.
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“Why? What did I do wrong? Why did he do that?” said Frank Byrne on Sept. 18, 2018.
Byrne had a lot of questions when his ex-wife's new husband, a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officer, used the DAVID system to look up his personal info.
“Since I’ve never been in trouble with him or been investigated, I feel just, like, violated almost,” said Byrne.
It was one of four instances of DAVID system abuse JSO reported to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles last year.
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The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office reported one.
Atlantic Beach police reported one.
Palatka police reported two.
The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office reported the most instances of misuse in our area: five.
“A total of five violations, but it was committed by the same three officers,” said Nassau County Undersheriff Roy Henderson.
Henderson said those deputies were trying use the database as a shortcut for legitimate police work, but that’s not what the DAVID system is for.
“If you didn’t enforce what the law requires you to, I can only imagine what it would be like. They would be using it for things we have no business using it for,” said Henderson.
Henderson said the three deputies were warned any further misuse would require discipline.
Action News Jax asked the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for this data after reporting last month a Jacksonville Beach police officer resigned while under investigation for misusing the DAVID system.
Internal investigators at JBPD reported they found the officer improperly searched his wife’s name, who he said was cheating on him.
Cox Media Group
