Notifying Police of Wanted Person who's customer

marcus · August 2007

Does anyone have a policy that deals with an employee's right/duty to notify police if a customer comes in to your business who is "wanted" by the police? Is, or should there be, an expectation of privacy? Is it the employee's civic and corporate duty to call? Thanks for any help you can provide. Marcus

NaeNae55 · August 2007

We don't have a policy and I am not necessarily knowledgable about his, but I am going to put my 2 cents in anyway.

I think the short answer is "it depends." If you are a counseling service and the client is wanted for parking tickets, I doubt if I would call the police.

If you do childcare and the customer is wanted for child molesting.... you can see the big differences here. However, either way I don't see how you can prevent an employee from his civic duty in reporting someone who is wanted by the police. The only exception I can think of is if you believe the employee would be harming your business (scenario one might if it makes the news).

What type of business do you have and what is this person wanted for?

Nae

marcus · August 2007

We're a hospital & clinic. The individual was wanted for a felony offense.

Down_the_Middle · August 2007

So, why wouldn't any employee do this as a responsible citizen? Strikes me as a much better approach than the ostrich style of shying away or simple avoidance.

marcus · August 2007

That was our recommendation - i.e., that the employee should call as a good citizen.

joannie · August 2007

Wouldn't it make a difference if he were a visitor or a patient? I see no problem if he were a visitor, but as a patient, wouldn't you be crossing some type of privacy issue line?

marcus · August 2007

Only if s/he were admitted as an inpatient, and then, only as far as related to medical condition if s/he requested it in writing (HIPAA law).

ritaanz · August 2007

Do you really need a policy to tell you what you or your employees are expected to do in this case?

If this is indeed a person that the police are searching for, then a call to them is necessary. Call it civic pride.

We have become a country of passing the buck. Let someone else do it. I don't want to get involved. How sad.

HRinVA · August 2007

Don't hospitals report gun-shot wounds, suspected abuse cases, etc to the police? I think you are obligated to report it.

lrobb · August 2007

Suppose you opt not to report this person, they leave the hospital and later that night this person kills someone in a botched robbery attempt or steals a car and kills someone in the ensuing police chase. I guess you can always rest easy in the comfort that you didn't report them.

dixied · August 2007

I've reported a person whose picture was on TV as having an arrest warrent issued and the police were looking for information. This occurred at a manufacturing company. I requested that they arrest the person off company premises and provided information as to when the person would be leaving. They were very accomodating and did the arrest on the public street.
I believe we have the civic duty to report those that have broken the law.

mbeam · August 2007

If they're wanted for a felony and on a wanted list think that supercedes privacy laws but am not an attorney. You wouldn't be divulging information relative to their medical history.

Notifying Police of Wanted Person who's customer

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