April 13, 2007

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  NEWS: OPP Defends Hushed Investigations

   

  The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have taken some heat in the Canadian press for keeping details of debit card schemes under wraps, to the marked exclusion of those consumers whose identities might be at risk. OPP Detective Sergeant Doug Cousens sat down with newspapers The Recorder and Times in an interview last week to elucidate details of the OPP's stance on dealing with crimes of identity theft, and to answer some common consumer questions regarding the issue.
  
  Cousens, a member of an investigative unit operating from the OPP's provincial headquarters in Orillia that probes debit and credit card fraud, stated that he understands and sympathizes with consumers' frustration, saying that, if his cards and/or information were stolen, he'd feel similarly upset. He maintains that his stance on the divide between police and citizens is "neutral," however, given his position.
  
  He said a major reason for keeping investigation details quiet is to protect the work going on. It's not that anyone wants to keep consumers in the dark, he stated, it's just that the integrity of the investigation can be jeopardized if the public is notified of what's going on. Giving the public details of the investigation is tantamount to letting the crooks involved know just how far police have progressed on the case – and that is just unacceptable. Counsens also cited angry, lashing-out consumers as a major reason to keep details under wraps – there is a very real phenomenon of consumer backlash against businesses that have been publicly linked to fraud investigations.
  
  
  
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