(Picture credit DCSO)
OMAHA — Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson called for state and local lawmakers to investigate whether a librarian within the Omaha library system has the authority to not cooperate with law enforcement in tracking down a known child molester.
“The DCSO is attempting to track down an absconded sex offender based on community tips of suspicious behavior. The absconded child molester is known to frequent areas utilized by young families and children,” Hanson said in a post on Twitter. “The Sheriff visited a library in that area to ask library staff if they had seen him. He was informed that their interpretation of a state law and library policy prevented them from answering his question.”
“It was obvious she recognized him,” Hanson said. “She indicated that library policy and state law prohibited any cooperation with law enforcement.”
Hanson said in his 31 years in law enforcement that he had “never heard of that.” A spokesperson with DCSO told The Plains Sentinel that the man Hanson was looking to track down is still on the loose as of Tuesday afternoon.
DCSO declined to say which library in Omaha was involved, but confirmed it was within the Omaha Public Library (OPL) system.
According to DCSO, the man is a registered sex offender who was convicted of a sex crime against a child. Authorities have been attempting to track him down as he has violated the requirements of Nebraska’s sex registry in addition to allegations from community members that the individual had been acting “creepy.”
Library Confidentiality Policy
An investigation of OPL’s policies reveals that it has a "confidentiality” clause that prohibits employees from sharing records unless a subpoena or warrant is issued from law enforcement.
“Confidential records may be released to law enforcement agencies or courts only upon presentation of a properly executed subpoena or warrant,” the policy states.
A separate policy states that the library will only share security footage with law enforcement without a warrant only if there is “immediate physical danger on or off library property.”
The American Library Association, which sets nationwide library policy standards and which OPL is associated with through its state chapter, recommends librarians not answer law enforcement’s request for information directly.
“Inform the officer that the library director or legal counsel is the individual authorized to respond to requests for records and information, and that library policy requires you to refer the officer to the specified person under your policy,” the group’s recommended policy states. “Refer the officer to the library director, legal counsel, or to a designated alternate authorized by the library director to respond to requests for records and information.”
The Plains Sentinel has reached out to the Omaha Public Library system for comment.
— John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.