Philadelphia Police Officer Accused Of Running Unauthorized Criminal Background Check On Obama

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia's police department is investigating why an officer used his police car's computer to run a criminal background check on President Barack Obama.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said Friday the officer could face discipline for performing the check Wednesday morning. The Secret Service alerted the department after it learned about the incident from National Crime Information Center.

Ramsey says he wants to know what the officer has to say for himself. Police didn't release the officer's name, but he remains on duty.

Two Atlanta-area police officers are accused of a similar unauthorized background check on the president July 20. DeKalb County officers Ryan White and C.M. Route were placed on paid administrative leave.

Comments

[Cogs]

10:36 PM on 08/09/2009

Profiling the president. When does the insanity stop?

[XME]

10:28 PM on 08/09/2009

You'd THINK police officers would know that check on the POTUS are flagged by the Secret Service...especially when there have already been reports of other officers getting noticed for doing the same.

[graffitijoe]

09:24 PM on 08/09/2009

Another case where the police "acted stupidly" by treating the POTUS like Joe the Plumber?

[PamperedHousecat]

09:05 PM on 08/09/2009

I'm a retired public schoolteacher in Chitown. If I had tried to access a student's record for the purpose of getting it to the public , my career would be over.
Did this guy think he would be some kinda hero? Did he think (obviously not) he would find that one "smoking gun" of information NOBODY else had ever gotten??
Did he run a check on GW Bush? on Cheney?? on Limbaugh??? (oops, too much information)
Could this be another example of "racial profiling"?.....(you know all those "culured" have been arrested at least ONCE.) There has GOT to be a file on Obama SOMEWHERE!!!!!
Won't I be the Hero if I can get the word out!
Yoooou Betcha!!

[wakeup804]

08:17 PM on 08/09/2009

I work in healthcare, if we are caught trying to access someone's medical record who is famous, that is immediate termination. No questions asked. He/She knew better than this, it is a standing rule in jobs where you have access to sensitive information. Oh well, don't have to worry about this when they are patrolling the local Walmart.

[TchoupitoulasCanal]

08:37 PM on 08/09/2009

Agreed! I'm a Nurse Practitioner and I know that if I want to instantly lose my job I can look around in medical records that don't pertain to my realm of care.

I don't know why law enforcement won't take a similar position....

[windup]

09:55 PM on 08/09/2009

The police protect their own. Doesn't matter WHAT they are guilty of.

[Manchesterian]

07:12 PM on 08/09/2009

I hope the POTUS does not turn the other cheek on this. These police men are cheeky.

[loax]

07:11 PM on 08/09/2009

Demand these officers be fired NOW!! This could be you that is having their backgrounds checked...how despicable. The only reason is that our President is a black man. Get over it. I, as a white female am proud to have voted for him. You can bet if this were done to Bush or Cheney, the officer would now be locked down and interrogated. This is not what a police officer does!!

[harriscrl3]

04:40 PM on 08/09/2009

This isnt about finding something, this is about reminding President Obama that he is still a you know what even though he is President and they can run anything they want on him.

Its despicable and if this was a Liberal cop that did the same thing to Bush he wuld have been FIRED immediately he would have been GONE

I find it ironic that people are talking about Obama having death panel and how he is encouraging people to turn in others who dont agree with his policies. He is compared to Hitler as someone to be feared. Now if this man was who they said he was and capable of the things that they say he is doing would they be out there calling him names LOUD and PROUD. Wouldnt they have disappeared never ot be heard from again.

THEY KNOW that these labels are FALSE all they are doing is reminding President Obama is that he is STILL a YOU KNOW WHAT. I dont have to say the word but you all KNOW that N word I'm talking.

They feel safe doing it cause they KNOW that he is a GOOD MAN. But he is still a Black Man and they have to be PUT in their place.

Anyone who thinks this has nothing to do with him being AA is NAIEVE and its that Naievete thats going to pose a Danger to US ALL.

Post racial America is NEVER going to happen

[kathy001]

05:01 PM on 08/09/2009

You are absolutely right, harriscrl3. Although I do believe that someday we will see an end to racial discrimination in this country, that day has definitely not yet arrived. I also think that these cops are running these checks because they just can't believe that a Black man wouldn't have a criminal record. It's very telling behavior and it's disgusting.

[wakeup804]

08:26 PM on 08/09/2009

Harris, what is the "you know what" you keep repeating. A man of color?? African American? Black? It is not offensive to use any of those terms, when talking about our President.

[skunky93]

01:45 AM on 08/10/2009

he mentioned it in his comment. He referenced the "n" word that is offensive to pretty much everyone. That's why he's being discreet.

[kanester]

02:42 PM on 08/09/2009

One thing to note from these criminal incidents: The President must have a pretty clean record or we'd have heard something from the GOP Party of Cowards.

[sippewissett]

02:09 PM on 08/09/2009

I'm sorry, but what about "Two of your colleagues in Atlanta tried this a month ago and are in deep s**t" do you not get? This police officer in PA should be fired for "on the job stupidity."

[keepemhonest]

10:56 AM on 08/09/2009

The "search" is a CRIME & violates both the 4th & 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.

[MKSinSA]

10:26 AM on 08/09/2009

Come now people. I'm sure it was merely an honest slip of the fingers on the keypad. Barack Hussein Obama is such a common name after all.

[ChairmanOfTheBoard]

09:15 AM on 08/09/2009

Imagine if a librul cop had did this to Premier Boosh. he far right in the media would have crucified him

[wakeup804]

08:27 PM on 08/09/2009

Cheney would have him at Gitmo.

[ChairmanOfTheBoard]

09:07 AM on 08/09/2009

The far right has infiltrated our law enforcement sad. These cops are probably birthers

[concernvoter]

08:05 AM on 08/09/2009

I wonder if they are doing a mental background check on that policeman. It seem like he had a lot time on his hand. Man you need to be patroling your assigned area.

[wakeup804]

08:29 PM on 08/09/2009

As bad as crime is in Philly, we need the police to sleep on our streets, not waste time doing background checks on the POTUS. What did he think he was gonna find?? An old gun charge, a warrant....what was he looking for?