Friday night our daughter held a sleepover/surprise birthday party in our back yard. It was the first time in literally years that we used the back yard for something other than a place for the dog we had to run around in.

In the yard directly across from ours and across the fence, some young men were swearing loudly and generally being obnoxious. The girls complained to me about the language they were using, so I called to them across the fence and asked them not to use the crude language since we had 11 and 12 year old girls camping out. The one young man said that he would try to quiet them down, perhaps get the loudest one inside the house.

The next thing I knew, the girls were complaining that the language had continued; indeed it had escalated, and this time they were hearing threats, mutterings about murder. And the girls were scared. Once again I spoke with one of the young men.

A short time later it became evident that they were enjoying scaring the girls so I told them I was calling the police. (I didn't want to.) So while we were waiting for the police to come, the young men took off as I expected them to, but at least there was no longer the loud and obscene disturbance.

The police showed up, three officers in two cars. They seemed to want to know more about me than the folks about whom I complained, specifically my date of birth. Well, I told them, because it is pretty easy to learn, and I did not want to set an example for the girls by questioning this which would have ramifications later on. But I really did wonder how my age had ANYTHING to do with what was going on.

The police took the report and then headed for the neighbors' house, even though the neighbors were gone by then. I hung around in the back yard to make sure that the loud mouthed guys didn't come back and bother the girls further, but it was evident that they had moved on.

It occurred to me that getting my date of birth was part of our 'wonderful' PATRIOT ACT, and I wondered if they were just gathering data, or whether I am a 'person of interest' because I have a big stained glass peace symbol in our picture window with the words "PEACE ON EARTH". What a subversive message!

Have any of you other posters called to make a complaint and then been asked your birthdates and other personal information?

Here's a response to a question about this subject from one police department:

Link



Hmmm.

Personally, I try to avoid contact with law enforcement whenever possible. I suppose that borders on the paranoid, but I'm fearful of anybody with that much power over me. If I happened to be in a life-or-death situation, I'm sure I would dial 911 as fast as anybody else.

I don't think this is part of the PATRIOT act, or any special effort to single you out as a trouble-making peacenik. (Although such concerns are one reason why I avoid having any lefty/feminist/gay rights bumper stickers on my car.) Without any disrespect meant to any peace officer, the very nature of police work makes it necessary for law enforcement to treat civilians as outsiders, and even as potential suspects.

You have my sympathies for this unpleasant situation.

Paladin-- I think Victoria's link is correct. The need for identification was the first thing that came to my mind as well. I think it is very common to ask the date of birth for identification-- when you call to check a bank or credit account or when you fill a prescription etc.

I am sure the Patriot Act has nothing to do with it.

And my name, address and phone number aren't enough to complain about the neighbors?

I think Victoria is on the mark about this. Thanks for the link, too.

It certainly doesn't put me in any hurry to take my problems to them. I wonder if they realize how off-putting some of their procedures are.

Thats odd, they only ask me fore all the info if i file a police report

Well heck, Juber, they didn't need my driver's license because it had nothing to do with a moving violation. I did have to report to them who (as best I knew; we really don't have contact with this neighbor ordinarily), what, when, and where. "Why" could only have been supplied by the neighbor.

Regarding the question "Isn't name and address sufficient when filing a complaint?" I think the answer has to be no.

Many times there's more than one person in a household with a name. Just ask George Foreman.

Of course, there are likely people with the same name and birthdate, but I think the odds there are prohibitive (unless Mr. Foreman's wife has twins).

Personally, I'd prefer to use my DOB as an identifier than my Social Security number.