-
- Follows
pleas from local feds,
prosecutors
- Yakima
County assessor pulls data base off
'Net
- YAKIMA
(Monday, 7-19-99)---Six months ago, you could check
into the county assessor's web page and determine
who owned which of some 95,000 properties in Yakima
County.
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- All
you had to do was type in a name and, presto, all
Yakima County properties owned by persons of that
surname appeared in a list. You could then check on
a name and obtain a map of that property's
location.
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- But
Assessor Dave Cook now denies that capability to
the public following pleas from local feds, local
government employees, and local
attorneys.
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- He
cited one incident to YVN recently where federal
Drug Enforcement Administration agents conducted a
raid on a family home.
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- Fearing
retaliatory raids on their own homes, feds
reportedly called the county and asked officials to
remove the database. Only a hue and cry from the
public would likely bring the database back on
line.
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- Though
the county database was on line for a year, no raid
on any agent's home has ever been reported. Raids
by agents on the general public's homes, however,
have been occurring thick and fast, as court
documents indicate.
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- To
get the database removed, DEA agents reportedly
talked to senior prosecuting attorney John Staffan.
Staffan then called Assessor Cook. Cook and Program
Analyst Jacob Tate then removed the database mode
which revealed properties categorized by the
owner's last name.
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- The
remainder of the database, however, remains intact.
At least for the time being.
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- 'Netters
can still type in a parcel number, a street
address, or a house number to obtain property
ownership info (Click).
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- Persons
who wish to find all properties "John Smith" owns,
however, will have to get the info by contacting
the Assessor's office and requesting it in person
or by FAX.
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- Cook
told YVN he received "hundreds" of complaints from
persons who did not want their property ownerships
and locations known to the general public.
Conversely, many reportedly thanked him after the
access mode was removed.
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- Cook
admits, however, the legality of it all is in limbo
as governments try to get used to the public's
growing desire for government-obtained information.
That's info government demands from the public,
which government also spends tax dollars to
get.
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- Ultimately,
the kind of information county government will
release, and the manner in which the county will
release it, will be determined by the legislature
and guidelines," Cook said.
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