WEST SEATTLE - Monday night in Seattle's southwest police precinct, block watch captains Karen Berge and Bruce Bobzien described the records request that has felt like a violation to them.
"There is really no reason that somebody that is stepping up to make their neighborhood better should have their names and numbers and contact information released," said Berge.
A letter describing the public disclosure request was sent out Monday. The request asks the city of Seattle for the names, addresses, home phone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses for recent organizers of the public safety event, Night Out, and for the 3,800 current and former block watch captains.
The letter also states the city is legally obligated to disclose the records, but because of an exemption to the law it will provide names only.
"That's trivial because once someone has the name you can run a search," said Berge.
It's left volunteers feeling vulnerable... and for what?
"We don't know and I think that is one of the guiding pieces of fear around it," said Bobzien.
The man behind the request is Keith Gormezano. He declined an interview but by phone said: "We live in a free and public society and that is what the public disclosure act is about. I have the right to request it simply because I am curious."
"Just because it is there doesn't mean there is a need to know," argued Berge.
Bobzien added, "with bad situations like this, how do we look at it and learn from it."
According to a public safety coordinator, some block watch captains might quit as a result of the records request. Others are calling for changes to the law that allows the names of volunteers to be requested.
