By James DeWeese
New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly last week ordered the department’s legal division to file civil charges against a Queens man who is operating a Web site that reveals personal data about 70 city police officers, a police spokesman said.
At the same time, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Kew Gardens) announced plans to introduce legislation that would make it illegal to reveal personal data about New York City police officers.
“The posting of personal information about cops can easily be used to intimidate the officers and perhaps endanger their families,” Weiner said in a news release. “Free speech does not include the ability to terrorize officers.
The Web site, reportedly run by Alan Munn, 53, of Jackson Heights, lists detailed information about plainclothes and undercover officers, including addresses, telephone numbers, assignment locations and even hair color.
Many of the entries on the Web site also include detailed information about officers’ personal habits and routines that could be used to locate or even harm them.
In one entry, the Web site’s author writes: “He was jogging in a field adjacent to Boys and Girls High School in Bedford Stuyvesant … about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, 11 August, 2001.
“The officer lives in the area and jogs in the field regularly.”
Another entry about a different officer says he “plays in a football league (made up of men who grew up together near Cypress Hills cemetery) which plays every Sunday” and then goes on to cite the location of the weekly games.
“I am available (without charge) to legally investigate, observe and surveil (but not stalk) cops, judges … prosecutors, correctional officers … marshalls (sic), bailiffs, wardens, parole and probation officers, federal protective service officers, special agents, elected officials, appointed officials and their ilk,” the site’s author wrote.
In 1999, a Queens County Criminal Court judge ruled Munn could be charged with aggravated harassment for threatening police officers on his Web site, which then was removed. The Queens district attorney’s office said Munn has no criminal record in the borough.
In 2001, Munn ran as a Republican for former City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz’s Forest Hills seat before he was removed from the ballot. The Queens County Republican Committee did not return a phone call requesting comment by press time.
Law enforcement officials believe Munn may now be in Europe, according to a report in the Daily News. The Police Department spokesman declined to speculate about Munn’s whereabouts.
The spokesman said the legal department is investigating possible criminal charges against Munn as well but would not comment on the progress of the investigation.
The current Web site is registered with a domain from the Cocos Islands, an Indian Ocean nation of 600. No information about the site’s owner is available through Enic.cc, a Web site ownership search service that maintains records for these domains.
According to the Cocos Island tourism Web site, www.cocos-tourism.cc, “the cornerstone of Coco Malay society and the focus of each individual’s life is the Islamic religion.”
Munn did not respond to an e-mail request for comment and his home phone number in Queens was not listed.
Reach reporter James DeWeese at 718-229-0300, Ext. 157, or by e-mail at news@timesledger.com.
