California Governor calls for public salaries to be put online

More sunlight may shine across California for taxpayers and open government proponents -- perhaps a little too late for the residents of Bell.

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger challenged California's cities Thursday to post public officials' salaries on websites.

If they have nothing to hide.

"Put the information on the website so people don't even have to call," Schwarzenegger said in a budget speech to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Republican governor said Californians have been asking for compensation information after revelations that the Southern California city of Bell paid three of its top administrators a total of $1.6 million a year."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Illinois personnel evaluations are open record, exception for law enforcement

"An amendatory veto by Gov. Pat Quinn may allow evaluations of many public employees to remain open to the public.

Quinn on Monday scaled back House Bill 5154, which sought to exempt evaluations of all state public employees, to only exempt state and local law enforcement. He said in his Monday veto message that the bill goes too far, and that the new and improved Illinois Freedom of Information Act that took effect Jan. 1 needs "time to work without significant amendments.""

Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Your Online Afterlife

"What happens to your Facebook chats, Flickr photos,LinkedIn connections, and Twitter witticisms when you die. Will your friends and family have access to your "digital memory"?

The short answer: "No". in fact, getting friends and family access to your passwords, and thereby your social media identity, is most likely strictly forbidden in the privacy policies of the social media venues you frequent. While you're Personal Representative (executor, trustee, administrator) it may be able to access this information, it may also require a court order to do so.

So what can be done to safeguard your online persona? KATU out of Seattle to reports today that "Digital death coverage is a growing business. There are websites that help you bequeath your accounts to others and inform your online friends that you're dead.""  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Island Sex Offender Registry now online

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Island Sex Offender Registry site was made possible through the Tribe and Territory Sex Offender Registry System, which is provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. The purpose is to assist the tribes and territories in implementing Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act registry system requirements.
Go to the site
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California probation using GPS to monitor offenders

"Calaveras County probation officers this summer are using upgraded electronic bracelets to track nonviolent criminals who wear them as an alternate way to serve jail sentences.

A recent test of the global positioning system technology showed it is extremely accurate. Probation officer Ben Leija put one of the bracelets on me at 11:05 a.m. July 14. Then I went home for lunch."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Michigan employee and agency social networking may be a public record

"The state of Michigan plans to consider what its employees and agencies post on social media websites as matters of public record and subject to Freedom of Information Act requests."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

ICE Online Detainee Locator System searchable database

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Online Detainee Locator System is now active. This is a searchable database that enables you to locate a detainee who is currently in ICE custody. Search by name with country of birth or by A-Number. Returns full name and year of birth and whether they have been in ICE custody in the past 60 days.
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Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Vermont charges fees to look at public records

"The Vermont State Employees Association is suing the state over a $1,200 fee for two public records request. The Douglas administration has said it will charge the union to look at information regarding the elimination of a Fish and Wildlife staff position and a computer use monitoring program for state workers known as Marshall 86.

Officials from the Agency of Natural Resources and the Department of Human Resources have also stated in letters to the union that they would charge additional fees for the public records requests in the event that VSEA contested the matter in court.

The union filed its complaint in Washington County Superior Court on Tuesday.

At issue is the word “copy.” Is viewing a document the same thing as asking for a copy? The union says no – that simply looking at public records is different from asking for a copy. VSEA maintains that no fee should be charged if no copies are requests."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Private investigators may loose access to credit bureau headers under pending legislation

"Two major developments are scheduled in Congress over the next few days of critical importance to private investigators and security firms.

First, the House Financial Services Committee has tentatively scheduled a vote next week on HR 3149, “The Equal Employment for All Act”. That bill would prohibit employers from accessing credit reports. NCISS is joining with a coalition of major industry groups to ask the Committee not to consider the bill. We joined with the same group when Senator Feinstein proposed identical legislation as an amendment to the financial reform legislation, HR 4173, ‘The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009’’. That proposal was stopped in the Senate. In addition, our advocate met with staff of members of the subcommittee at the time that a hearing was held to explain how such reports are used by investigators. We may be calling on you to contact your representatives on this issue if the vote is formally scheduled.

In another critical development, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection will be holding a hearing Thursday afternoon on major privacy legislation which could also have a dramatic impact on private investigators. The Subcommittee will be reviewing two bills that would require that notice be provided and consent be obtained from individuals from whom “sensitive” data are obtained. HR 5777, ‘‘Building Effective Strategies to Promote Responsibility Accountability Choice Transparency Innovation Consumer Expectations and Safeguards Act’’ or the ‘‘BEST PRACTICES Act’’ by Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) was introduced Monday. The subcommittee will also consider a similar draft bill by Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA), who chairs the subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet.

Recent publicity regarding behavioral advertising, privacy changes at Facebook, and some practices by Google have increased pressure on Congress to act to limit data collection from individuals who have not granted their permission. Although the activities of private investigators do not appear to be the targets of the legislation, the definitions in these proposals appear to include investigative functions. Although the bills include numerous exceptions, none appears to apply to private investigators. For example, HR 5777 exempts many businesses which collect information from or about less than 10,000 individuals in a year. But the exception does not apply to those who use “covered information to study, monitor, or analyze the behavior of individuals as the person’s primary business”. The exception also does not include those who collect “sensitive information”. "  
Read the full statement and links to bills at NCISS
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Private Investigator Research Links - June 1 - July 17

See all my favorite links

SaveYourCall.com - Record Calls. Record Phone Conversations. Cell Phone Record. Record Conversations. Record Cell Phone Calls
http://www.saveyourcall.com

Nationwide search for real estate agents by name
http://www.realtor.org/rofindrealtor.nsf/pages/FS_FREALTOR?OpenDocument

Search by name or business to ID POE and local board.

H-2A Public Job Registry
http://icert.doleta.gov/index.cfm?event=ehPJR.dspPJRExternalCases&state=ALL

Selected Guide to Sources for Genealogy California History Room
http://www.library.ca.gov/calhist/pdf/genealogyguide.pdf

City directories, newspapers, vital records, voter registration

Naturalization documents for residents naturalized in Contra Costa County
http://www.cocohistory.org/frm-resources.html

Naturalization documents for residents naturalized in Contra Costa County from 1850 to the 1980s.

Bing Query Language
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff795667.aspx

"Bing Query Language enables the incorporation of advanced operator syntax in requests sent to Bing Application Programming Interfaces. Advanced operator syntax is syntax that enables you to refine a query."

California Recorded Documents by county
http://www.ca.gov/OnlineServices/OS_Government_documents.html

"Search fictitious business names, deeds, mortgage documents, easements, power of attorney, liens, and other documents which affect title to or possession of real property - by county clerk/recorder's office."

California Property Searches by county
http://www.ca.gov/OnlineServices/OS_Consumers_propsearch.html

Public Records Searches - State of California
http://ca.gov/OnlineServices/OS_Government_records.html

Links to State government public records and some county records (inmate locators, vial records)

Public Records Resources Online : How to Find Everything There Is to Know About "Mr. X"
http://www.governmentinfopro.com/PublicRecordsGuide.pdf

Resources and Guides: Government, Legal, References, Courts
http://www.justice.gov/jmd/ls/resource_guides.htm

Guide to Court Resources by State
http://www.justice.gov/jmd/ls/state.htm

California County Recorder Clerk's Offices - URL Link
http://www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/countyclerk/other_rec.html

The Real Life Social Network
http://www.slideshare.net/padday/the-real-life-social-network-v2

Social networks are changing how we connect to people but we still mostly relate to a small handful of people on a regular basis.

Country search engines and Regional Search Engines
http://www.philb.com/countryse.htm

The Secret Life Of Teens Online
http://www.darkreading.com/insiderthreat/security/privacy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225702001

"Among the unsettling findings, 69 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds have included their physical locations on the social networking status updates; 28 percent chat with people they don't know; 43 percent revealed their first name; 24 percent, their email address; 18 percent, a photo of themselves; and 12 percent, their cell phone numbers. More than 15 percent of 13- to 15-year-old girls shared a physical description of themselves."

San Francisco Homeless Resource Directory
http://sfhomeless.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

San Francisco Pantries that give away free groceries or produce
http://www.freeprintshop.org/download/pantry_english.pdf

San Francisco Free Eats - Places to get free food
http://www.freeprintshop.org/download/eats_english.pdf

San Francisco Mental Health Services
http://www.freeprintshop.org/download/mental_english.pdf

San Francisco Free Medical Care Facilities
http://www.freeprintshop.org/download/medical_english.pdf

San Francisco Homeless Shelters
http://www.freeprintshop.org/download/shelter_english.pdf

One-Step Webpages - Genealogy, Search Engines, Census, Vital Records, SSDI
http://stevemorse.org

Phone Number Location Lookup
http://www.melissadata.com/lookups/phonelocation.asp

"Phone Number Location Lookup" Enter the partial phone number or city to get location, carrier, type of service (landline or cell).

Geographical Data - Places, Landmarks, Cities, Counties, Maps
http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos

"Your One Stop for Finding and Using Geographic Data"

First Names Reference Database
http://incompetech.com/named

Name variations and origins

Audio transcription service
http://www.magiscript.com/home?d=1277079394673

Open Government Guide to accessing public records in all 50 states
http://www.rcfp.org/ogg

Search Engine Tutorial
http://www.brightplanet.com/images/uploads/12766231881-SearchEngineTutorialFormatted041218.pdf

Teen Chat Acronym Decoder
http://www.teenchatdecoder.com/

Search trending words, phrases and links
http://www.blogpulse.com/trend

"...visually track "buzz" over time for certain key words, phrases or links."

Boardreader - Forum Search Engine
http://boardreader.com

Search conversational web: forums, microblogs, images, videos

Outlook Plugin to Search People, Email, and Attachments Instantly
http://www.xobni.com

"Xobni for Outlook, the sidebar that makes searching your inbox and finding information about your contacts fast and easy."

Sherman Library & Gardens - Repository for Polk City Directories
http://www.slgardens.org/default.asp

2647 East Pacific Coast Highway
Corona del Mar, CA 92625

Website design : Flavors.me
http://flavors.me

"Flavors.me allows anyone to create an elegant and dynamic website using personal content from around the web for only $20 a year."

Web monitoring
http://www.tracerlock.com

Fee-based "web monitoring/web clipping service."

Google Map of US Rest Areas
http://restareas.appspot.com

Markers for approximate location of highway rest stops.

Common Mistake Makes Tweets Invisible
http://adriandayton.com/2010/06/common-mistake-makes-tweets-invisible

Make @name tweets available to everyone.

See all my favorite links

California lawmaker wants children's autopsies sealed

"A state Senate committee unanimously approved a bill Thursday that would seal the autopsy reports of murdered children.

The legislation by Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murrieta, was prompted by slayings in Northern California and San Diego County.

"Once the images are released, they are on the Internet forever," Angela Chavez, an aunt of 8-year-old murder victim Sandra Cantu, said in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Attorney General Gansler Announces Settlement with Private Investigator Anne Arundel County Business Agrees to Change Billing Practices

"Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today announced that his Consumer Protection Division has entered into a settlement with Donaldson Investigations, LLC, an Anne Arundel County-based private investigator, and Jerry Donaldson, the company’s owner. The Division received complaints from consumers who claimed that Donaldson Investigations billed them for services that it did not perform. Consumers also complained that Donaldson Investigations debited their bank accounts without giving them prior notice of the debits. Donaldson Investigations denied it violated any laws, but agreed to resolve the matter.

“Consumers need to know when the companies they hire to perform a service take money out of their bank accounts,” said Attorney General Gansler. “We are pleased that Donaldson has agreed to change the way it does business and resolve the complaints we have received.”

Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Kern County considers Public Records Act request to release pension pay and names

"The Kern County Employees' Retirement Association, the agency that invests taxpayer money to fund county employee pensions, has kept the size of each member's retirement check a secret for years.

But the legal argument KCERA lawyers say demands secrecy is crumbling in courts across California, forcing them to choose between angering retirees and clinging to a law that may not stand up in court.

On Wednesday The Californian asked the retirement association to release the size of each county retiree's monthly pension check and other related data as part of its ongoing look at how skyrocketing benefit costs are hitting county coffers. A Sacramento County court had just ruled taxpayers have a right to that information."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Criminal Background Checks for Students?

"The Chronicle of Higher Education in an article datelined June 30, 2010, reports on program at the annual conference of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Speakers discussed the advisability of asking for criminal background checks on students, usually as part of the admissions process. In the absence of formal policies on how to handle the information, or how to interpret it if received, at least one speaker counseled against background checks.

Most colleges and universities that have policies requiring criminal background checks began doing so either after a murder or other crime on their campus or a nearby campus. But as more institutions begin to require this information, it may become adopted more widely without considering the ramifications. The speakers at this conference wanted to raise the consciousness of their listeners. A recent survey showed that about 18% of colleges and universities perform a background check on "some sub-set of general applicants."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Pennsylvania State Police must disclose outside work, a public record

"Pennsylvania's open-records agency has ordered the state police to release records of moonlighting by its employees.

The Associated Press had requested the information in April after a moonlighting state trooper was connected to the off-field carousing of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

State police had rejected the AP's request. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records ruled Wednesday that state police were wrong to do so and should turn over most of the information within a month."

Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Discipline for California Nurses Sanctioned in Other States is now checked by licensing agency

"After running its list of active and inactive nurses against a database maintained by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, BRN found that roughly 3,500 of its nurses have been punished for misconduct or even had their licenses revoked in other states while maintaining clean licenses in California. As many as 2,000 of these nurses will now face discipline in California.

Until 2008, BRN checked the records of only initial applicants for a California license, not renewals, against disciplinary actions in other states. BRN will now run quarterly record checks on California nurses to capture the most current information."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Sacramento County judge rules public has a right to know about county workers' pensions

"A Sacramento Superior Court judge this week ruled that Sacramento County's retirement system can't keep information about government workers' pensions from the public.

The Sacramento Bee and First Amendment Coalition had sued the Sacramento County Employees' Retirement System for pension information including the names of retirees and how much they're getting."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

LinkedIn Messages Spark a Lawsuit

“The use of social-networking sites to breach the terms of noncompete agreements will be the focus of an unprecedented lawsuit filed by an IT staffing firm against a former employee. Chances are, the courts will rule that it's the message, not the medium, that matters, experts say.

If you're one of the 65 million people with LinkedIn accounts, you probably use the service to invite other members to join your online network of business contacts, participate in online discussions or, perhaps, set up in-person meetings to discuss business-related matters.

If you're using LinkedIn to reach out to former colleagues, however, you might want to do a quick review of your noncompete agreement first; otherwise, you could end up in court.

Brelyn Hammernik, a technical recruiter, was recently sued by her former company, Hanover, Md.-based IT staffing firm TEKsystems, after she sent messages to members of her LinkedIn network -- members who also happened to be current employees of TEKsystems.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, the company contends that Hammernik's communications violated a noncompete agreement that bars her from contacting former clients and co-workers."

Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Orange County nursing home provided inadequate staffing

"What spurs a jury to inflict $671 million in damages against one nursing home chain?

Part of the answer lies in the 250,000 pages of internal company documents that plaintiff attorneys used to make their case.

Last week a Humboldt County jury handed down the historic verdict against Skilled Healthcare Group, an Orange County-based chain. Plaintiffs attorneys in the class-action lawsuit alleged that the chain suggested to patients that it provided adequate staffing, but in fact, did not.


This week jurors will deliberate on punitive damages against the firm.

To prove their case so far, attorneys for the plaintiffs showed the jury examples of Skilled Healthcare facility managers expressing frustration to corporate executives about staffing and overtime constraints. Attorney Michael Thamer shared several with California Watch, and you can see them below."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Outrageous Facebook habits of young women or outrageous sexist reporting by Mashable?

"Of course people do have the option of making part or all of their profile private, but why should they have to? As much as people, particularly the older generation, don’t like to admit, most of us don’t care about privacy. We like people being able to find us, or to share photos of friends and being able to look at people from school and vice versa. So why should they care? another girl who will become an addict another girl headed to addiction What has been most surprising about the Mashable post is that it focusses entirely on the survey results about women.

We are told that ‘the study sampled the habits of 1,605 adults using social media between May and June of this year in an attempt to break down their social media habits.’ That’s ‘adults’, so it’s not just women. What about the statistics on men? The results show that 20% of men use Facebook as a way to ‘hook up’ with people (only 6% of women do this). 24% of men, compared to 9% of women, have broken up with someone via Facebook, and 65% of men are OK with dating people they’ve met online. Don’t men put pictures of themselves drunk online?

Oh they do, it’s just that society (or this hack writing for mashable) still seems to think it is unacceptable to see women drunk. Surely if we continue to publish articles like this which focus on women, this backward attitude will continue?"  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Why Many Teens Are Moving on from Facebook

"According to a study from OTX and virtual fashion site Roiworld, nearly one in five teens with a Facebook profile had decreased or discontinued their use of the site as of April 2010.

What’s more, the decreases seemed to speed up in recent months, with two-thirds of the lapsed users having turned away from the site in the past six months. 

Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Nevada high court says portions of gun permit records public

"Nevada's high court has ruled that the identities of concealed gun permit holders and records related to the permit's current status are public records under state law despite an exemption that makes the application for a permit confidential.

Though applications for a concealed-carry permit are exempt from disclosure under the Nevada Public Records Act, the court ruled on July 1 that the exemption did not include every detail related to a granted permit, including the name of the permit holder and whether or not the permit had been investigated, revoked or suspended."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California matches familial DNA to identify a serial killer

"The arrest in the case of the “Grim Sleeper” — a serial killer who terrorized South Los Angeles for two decades — has put one of the hottest controversies in American law enforcement to its first major test."

"This week, law enforcement struck a significant blow for the practice when the Los Angeles Police Department used it to arrest a man who they say murdered at least 10 residents here over 25 years. It is the first time an active familial search has been used to solve a homicide case in the United States."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Seattle Online Crime Map Offers Redacted Reports

"Several cities offer online maps showing where various types of crimes have been committed. However, the map recently deployed by Seattle, Wash. is one of the few to offer links to redacted police reports. The city’s My Neighborhood Maps eliminated a labor-intensive manual process that will free up employees to do other work, according to Bill Schrier, CIO of Seattle. Before deployment of the online map, citizens had to visit police stations to request police reports and typically wait 12 days to receive them. Now, a few simple clicks on the map can get citizens any police reports they need, instantly."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Statewide Law Enforcement Access to “Real Time” CDCR Parolee Data Now Available

"Working with local law enforcement, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) today launched version 2.0 of its online parolee database that provides police and sheriff’s deputies faster and more thorough access to offender information, including photos and criminal background."

"LEADS 2.0 is a streamlined application that is updated every 15 minutes, and has search functions that allow partner law enforcement agencies to find real time information on the status of a parolee they have made contact with, including Non Revocable Parole (NRP) status, PC 290 registration and potentially any available victim contact information."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Private Investigator Research Links - June 1 - July 6

California Recorded Documents by county
California Property Searches by county
Public Records Searches - State of California
Links to State government public records and some county records (inmate locators, vital records)
Public Records Resources Online : How to Find Everything There Is to Know About "Mr. X"
Resources and Guides: Government, Legal, References, Courts
Guide to Court Resources by State
California County Recorder Clerk's Offices - URL Link
The Real Life Social Network
MSE360 Search Engine
Country search engines and Regional Search Engines
The Secret Life Of Teens Online
San Francisco Homeless Resource Directory
San Francisco Pantries that give away free groceries or produce
San Francisco Free Eats - Places to get free food
San Francisco Mental Health Services
San Francisco Free Medical Care Facilities
San Francisco Homeless Shelters
View these and more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Florida voter registration lookup now online

"The Department of State, Division of Elections announced today the release of a new free voter information access system that allows voters to look up their voter registration, absentee ballot status and polling place location online. Voters can now check to see if they are registered and make sure that their information is correct."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Yolo County, California County Public Defender reducing hours

"Effective today, Friday, the Yolo County Public Defender's Office will be closed to the public on Friday afternoons due to staff furloughs resulting from funding shortfalls. Public hours will be as follows: 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursdays; and 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays. Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

San Joaquin County, California County public defenders cut by 30 percent

"STOCKTON - A phalanx of attorneys in the San Joaquin County Public Defender's Office will box up the personal items on their desks and walk out today, having been laid off as victims of the budget crisis.

While all of the county's criminal justice agencies are feeling budget hits, 30 percent of the county's public defenders are leaving."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Most burglaries occur in July and August

"Burglars who break into your home this summer may be after more than your jewelry and electronic equipment—they may also steal your identity. As you prepare to leave on vacation, it is important to protect yourself against both a physical and a virtual break-in, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.)."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California Counties Get Grants to Fight Workers' Comp Insurance Fraud

"The California Department of Insurance is awarding $30 million in grants to local district attorneys to be used to find and prosecute workers' compensation insurance fraud.

"Workers' compensation insurance fraud creates costs that are a burden on our economy at the time it can least sustain it," said Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. "We must care for injured workers so they get the timely medical care they need and return to work, but for those bilking the system will be caught and prosecuted."

Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Riverside County Court now charges for online name index search

"Effective July 1, 2010, the court will implement the following procedural and fee changes:
•
Access to Imaged Civil Documents on the Internet – The cost for viewing or printing civil court documents available on the Internet will be lowered to $1 per page for the first five pages, $.40 per page after five pages, with a cap of $40 per document.
•
Online Name Searches – The price structure outlined below will be implemented for performing name searches online.
•
$1 for 1 search.
•
$3.50 for 2-5 searches.
•
$5 for 6-10 searches.
•
Individuals or entities may pay a flat fee of $250 per month to perform an unlimited number of online searches. Please contact the Court Webmaster at courtweb1@riverside.courts.ca.gov or contact the Executive Office at
951-955-5536 to establish a monthly account.
•
If a civil case number is provided, the register of actions for that case may be viewed free of charge.
•
Criminal defendants will continue to have access to their criminal cases at no charge.
•
Updated Fee Schedule – An updated fee schedule is available on the court’s website at http://riverside.courts.ca.gov/localfrms/localfrms.htm or from the clerk’s office.
Sherri R. Carter
Court Executive Officer
and Clerk of the Court"
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California government news site aggregates content from more than 200 sources

"Curious about what news the State of California is making right now? Want to see the latest YouTube videos or Twitter activity at-a-glance? California’s news hub, news.ca.gov, aggregates content from more than 200 sources from across state departments and agencies into one place. Launched today by State Chief Information Officer Teri Takai, the news site is part of the newly redesigned CA.gov portal that receives 7.3 million unique visitors each month.

“Governor Schwarzenegger is committed to increasing transparency and citizen engagement, to keep Californians informed of all that is happening with their state government,” said Teri Takai, state chief information officer. “The State is publishing a vast amount of news and information every day. With social networking sites and automated information feeds, state agencies are making it easier for news to reach the public. We have taken the additional step of creating this continuously updated news hub, a one stop destination for Californians to see what is happening in state government — all at a glance.”

With more official sources being added daily, the news hub scoops up real-time feeds from across State government, including 83 Twitter accounts, 40 YouTube channels, and nearly 100 RSS feeds. The homepage features quick and easy access to all of the latest news, including aggregated, up-to-date RSS, Twitter, and YouTube feeds. Clicking on the topical areas such as business, education, government, health and safety, family, and visit provides users a view into news items organized by category."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Spokeo under fire for offering credit estimate consumer information

"Website Spokeo promises to give users “the most comprehensive intelligence about anyone you want to find” — and privacy advocates don’t seem to think this is a good idea.

A consumer-advocacy group filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission Wednesday alleging that Spokeo is offering detailed consumer information, such as a “credit estimate” without following government regulations. Spokeo allows users to enter names, phone numbers and the like and get information such as address, age, ethnicity, interests and household information. For $2.95 a month, subscribers can get information that “may include” religion, politics and “wealth level,” according to the site."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Two years after new California law, handheld cell phone use on the road remains widespread

"Two years after California made it illegal to use a handheld phone while driving, the law remains one of the most ignored in the state, as suggested by the estimated half-million tickets that have been issued so far.

The California Highway Patrol released a report Wednesday that said talking on a cell phone while behind the wheel has become the leading factor contributing to crashes blamed on inattentive drivers."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Make use of the "new" Google News

 "Today, Google News is undergoing its first major redesign since being launched in 2002. Gone is the default “section” view, replaced instead by a “news stream” view of stories. Creating a personalized collection of stories has been made easier, as is the ability to share stories with friends and others via email, Twitter, Google Buzz or Facebook.

Let’s dive in and see what’s new."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Former Police Officer Charged With Defrauding Clients By Stealing Payment For Unperformed, Unlicensed Private Investigator Work

A former police officer working as an unlicensed private investigator was charged today with defrauding his clients and intimidating his detractors, including threatening to burn down the house of a licensed private investigator.

The defendant worked as a police officer between 1979 and 1986 for the Santa Ana and Stanton Police Departments. The Stanton Police Department no longer exists.

Between November 2005 and June 2010, Sianez is accused of owning and illegally operating private investigation services without a license under the names KMS Investigations, Fore-Front Investigations, and 4Front Investigations. Business and Professions Code 7523 requires proper licensing through the California Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Security and Investigative Services to operate as a private investigator. The defendant is accused of falsely identifying himself as a licensed private investigator.

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Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator