British Columbia Bars' plan to scan IDs might violate privacy laws: Rights Advocates Charge

Barry Artiste Op/Ed
With the rash of violence and murder resulting from bars, scanning everyones identification before entry, may give a potential troublemaker or violent offender second thoughts before committing assault or murder, if it can prove through identification scanning that they were at the crime scene.

Again, the Lefty Nancy Rights advocates are whining that it violates a persons rights to scan their identification, par for the course in a province with on of the highest murder and assault rates per capita in Canada. But then of course, one knows full well these Righteous Turd Burglers of the Left Wing of British Columbia have never been a victim or received a phone call in the dead of night to come to the morgue to ID their loved one, a loved one, out celebrating life unbeknownst to them, it would be their last night on earth.

Until this province gets their act together, stop releasing repeat offenders and put them behind bars, with some you throw away the keys, identification scans for Bar patrons is a last resort to safeguard the safety of their patrons.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=174bbc4e-1c7f-449f-bd29-01bdfddb0df0
Bars' plan to scan IDs might violate privacy laws
Similar Vancouver, Nanaimo programs already being investigated
Sandra Mcculloch, Times Colonist
Published: Wednesday, October 22, 2008

B.C.'s privacy commissioner is investigating whether the practice of having bar patrons run their drivers licences through scanners at the door violates privacy laws.

If David Loukidelis rules that the Bar Watch program breaks the law, a program proposed for Victoria could be shut down before it gets going.

Loukidelis could also shut down existing Bar Watch programs in Vancouver and Nanaimo, and bar owners in those cities would likely be ordered to destroy databases full of their patrons' personal information.

A ruling is expected in a few weeks.

Bar Watch is a program endorsed by bar owners and police and aims to reduce violent incidents at bars by documenting who enters the premises and who causes difficulties.

But privacy advocates are unhappy with the concept. The privacy commissioner in Alberta in February banned collection and retention of data from bar patrons' drivers licences, saying the act violated privacy laws. Alberta bar owners appealed and were allowed to continue the practice until a judicial review in Calgary on Dec. 18.