Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008 | 6:10 p.m.
The next time you get pulled over by the cops, chances are they'll run your name through a computer system called SCOPE. It's a record of your personal information - birthdate, social security number, criminal history - and it's confidential, available to only a few select agencies. So why would members of the Metropolitan Police Department, the people we depend on to fight crime, take risks that may actually perpetuate identity theft?
Documents from a defamation lawsuit settled recently reveal a disturbing case of Metro police disseminating SCOPE information, not for official business but as favors for friends. Metro confirms Detective Paul Osuch provided at least some of hundreds of SCOPE reports to private investigator Jim Thomas, a former Metro officer, hired by local businessman Jeff Guinn, the son of former Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn. Thomas was to watch Guinn's foe in a construction defect case, contractor Steve Quinn. Guinn, according to a sworn deposition from Thomas, took it upon himself to call Metro and suggest the vice squad conduct surveillance on Quinn's business for drug sales. Thomas says undercover agents even approached the woman he had watching Quinn's business, wanting to know what she was doing there. Guinn's father was governor when this began but we've found no evidence to suggest Guinn used his father's position to gain favors from the police.
The Public Defender's office is caught up in the mess, too. Metro confirms an investigator there, Chris Bubel, ran at least two unauthorized SCOPEs. Internal investigations are underway at both agencies and Quinn's attorney says lawsuits are forthcoming against Metro and Clark County. Metro refused to talk about it on camera but provided answers to our questions in writing. Check out the details tonight.
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