Is it legal to post an entire city's police departments salary, OT and total earnings...?

Question

itemized by full name titlesalary, ot rate, total earnigs for the year?
One city did just that on the internet. My question is this a violation of any law.
This list includes (my name) every police officer, searnet, leutenant, community service worker, dispatcher, crime lab tech etc. I am shocked and appaled

When I say that one did just that, I mean they gave an excel spreadsheet to the newspaper and the newspaper published it (complete) online

It is one thing to say how much each position pays, but each individuals earnings.
Secondy, a complete roster of every law enforcement employee... the bad guys may find that little piece of info helpful!

It is no small town It is the City of Baltimore Here is a link Look for Click here to see the Excel file provided to The Examiner by the city
http://www.examiner.com/a-728410~City_spends_millions_on_overtime.html

Answer 1

Sorry to say that I don't think any laws were violated. The city has the right to show how they spend the people's money and under what department it was spend. As long as your private information wasn't include, such as phone # , address, and such. It just isn't normal practice for this to happen. It does sound like it was politically motivated. Someone is either negotiating a contract or fighting the union or something like that. Again, this isn't normal but I don't see anything illegal. Keep looking through. They are bound to have slipped up somewhere.

Answer 2

Normally when you work for the city/state it is the right of the people to know how much they are paying you. I do not think it is fair. On the internet is another story i would think. Only because I would think it was not any ones business in the city or town near you. If someone wanted to know your salary they should have to go to the city office. Not post it on the internet. I am sure you are talking about a small town??

Answer 3

Public information if you in fact work for a state or local government agency. Taxes collected from citizens in these cases are directly related to your salaries. Thus allowing that information to be public knowledge. However they cannot disclose any of your related common numerical identifiers(i.e social security number for example). That should also tell you something about Federal employees as well and why isn't their salary information or names found on this kind of listing. And by the way, this is quite prevalent in areas with high concentrations of union activity. It's not that uncommon.

Answer 4

i did not discover any minors on there. They probable did bypass a line and screw up it is why the photograph and info. on the minor substitute into deleted. That being stated nevertheless, I hear approximately arrests all of the time on the morning information and the minor's call and age are released. on occasion that guidance is initially suppressed in spite of the undeniable fact that it many times comes out an afternoon or 2 later so i understand that is not thoroughly unlawful to launch the call of somebody who's underage that gets in difficulty. I additionally got here upon that the website states in different places they reserve the splendid to delete comments and supply a itemizing of particular policies and standards so i don't think of they're particularly doing something incorrect right here.

Answer 5

why would it be a violation?
if public/tax money is being used to pay you, that information would be available to the public.

We know what our congress members make; why not our police?

Its public knowledge how much firefighters make; why not our police?

You're an employee of the city and state; they can publish what you make publicly

and that information isn't really protected. companies can obtain what you make anyway

Answer 6

Having your names on it doesn't sound right, but the rest of it surely is kosher...position, title, duties and salaries. Putting your names sounds like a goof-up. They don't put any police names on ours except of course the head of the Depts. Can you sue? I don't think it would be very lucrative if you did...but for gp, probably.

Answer 7

Good question.
My first thought was yes it is illegal because it would be an invasion of privacy.
However; on second thought because you work for the government I am thinking this qualifies as public information.
I would be upset as well.

Answer 8

You are a public servant and we are entitled as tax payers to know what/where our tax dollars are going. Maybe you should work harder for your money instead of being appalled that you are paid that much and the public now knows.

Answer 9

I'm neither...cities do a lot of strange things these days. If people can find out how much you owe on your house, I guess no one really cares how much you make either..

Answer 10

i dont see how it is a violation of the law since they are public employees, therefore it is usually considered public info. no different than a state employee's salary is public info...teachers, politicians, etc.