O O Ø O O O O
It Could Happen To You
An anecdote about the ephemeral nature of rights.
Two months ago I starting a new consulting contract. The organization involved required a Security Clearance from The City of Calgary Police Services for all new contractors. This seemed like a fair and prudent condition, so I was happy to comply.
On my own time I made my way down to the appropriate cop shop to jump through the necessary hoops.
The first hoop was pretty standard: two pieces of government ID (driver’s licence, Alberta Health card), plus $25.00. The next hoop was also dead easy: sit and wait. I sat on a solitary bench in a long hallway and waited for the inevitable affirmed clean results to be produced. I wondered silently to myself whether I had paid a recent parking ticket. (As it turns out, those don’t show up on Security Clearances anyway.)
From down the hallway I heard my name called. I got up and wandered toward the disembodied sound, asking aloud “Where is that coming from?” From a nearby, partially obscured doorway, I discovered the antagonist in this story, Inspector Klizzie He welcomed me into the attached office and without any further introduction, announced he would be taking my fingerprints.
All the alarm bells go off.
“Why?”
“So we know you’re who you say you are or aren’t.”
At this time, Inspector Klizzie was in close physical proximity to me, and we were standing right next to the ink pad. I had to decide whether it was worth my time to argue. I was pretty sure he didn’t have the authority to demand my fingerprints, but he certainly had the hankerin’ to do so, and he was standing this close. I had to make a decision between just getting it done the contract requirements seemed pretty serious about having this security clearance or giving the Inspector some grief over it for a while. And remember, I had never had a security clearance done before, so I really didn’t know what was to be expected. Also, my parking meter was running out.
I steeled myself and demanded to know what was to happen to the prints. By this time, Klizzie already had a hold of my wrist, and was gesturing about with a strip of newsprint.
He sighed bodily, and ripped a segment out of the newsprint. “You can have them right back.” I made my decision, acquiesced, and gave myself over to him.
So much for the white wedding.
Same Old Story
After he had his way with me, I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I washed my hands. The Inspector had the scrap of newsprint with both sets of prints done five at a time, in the same hand as a long printout, which he was scanning. He then folded my prints and handed them back to me. Five minutes later, the front cashier handed me my security clearance, and I was on my way with time still on the meter.
Which would have been all good and fine, except the next day I asked my consulting partner if he had been fingerprinted for his Security Clearance. When he said he had not, I went decidedly nonlinear. I immediately unburdened myself of whatever was in my hands at the time, and was at the door with my car keys ready before I decided I would be best served by a cooler approach: I would editorialize.
I have since done a bit of research into the subject, and have learned the following:
- First, fingerprinting is not a requirement for a security clearance. The search is first and foremost a cross-Canada records check based on name and date of birth.
- But, if the name search produces records with similar names, fingerprinting is the method the police service uses to confirm the dissimilarity between prints on file, and those of the subject being searched. Hence Inspector Klizzie’s wording “who you say you are or aren’t.” From this, I can understand how it’s possible to do a quick scan from hastily pressed prints.
- So it goes to figure that if you have a unique or ridiculous name, there should be fewer fingerprints in your future. (Obviously, my partner’s name is at least a little unique.)
- If I hadn’t asked to recover the copies of my prints, they would have been shredded at the end of the day. (Allegedly.)
- When asked if this isn’t an invasion of privacy, the Calgary Police Service responded “You could see it that way”, but they don’t believe that’s the case. “It’s protecting you,” is their line.
My souvenir
So it’s the old story: swap a small amount of personal freedom for greater public safety.
What’s my point?
I’m leading up to the subject of rights. Although I strongly felt I was having my right to personal privacy violated at the time, I had to keep reminding myself that a so-called right only exists if all involved respect that right.
In the case of the Calgary Police Service, they had a legitimate job task with certain requirements that were at odds with my interpretation of my personal privacy rights. For them it wasn’t an issue. We simply bulldozed through the whole process, and bleeped over my objections. Did the police trespass on my rights, or did I surrender them? Actually, it’s the latter, but my argument is that in either case, it’s moot.
Rights don’t exist. Ponder that. If this is in fact the case, there are significant implications for those of us embroiled in the battle to salvage our privacy. I will put forward more detailed arguments supporting this view in the future.
Evan Spence
Friday, August 7, 1998
Additional Resources
Curious? Find out for yourself. Fingerprint Dates and Security Clearances are available from the Calgary Police Services ID Section, at (403) 268-2052
Follow the Security Clearance Unit teleprompt menus:
- Make an appointment for security guards or a private investigator.
- Speak to someone concerning pardons.
- Inquiries for Security Clearance referral forms.
- Security Clearances for visas, fingerprints, and companies without referral forms.