PUC WON'T GIVE OFFICERS QUICK ACCESS TO RECORDS

The California Public Utilities Commission swiftly and unanimously turned
down a petition yesterday that would have given narcotics officers access
to utility company records without a warrant or subpoena.

The commission's 5-to-0 opposition was led by Commissioner Jeff Brown, who
retired as San Francisco's public defender this year.

Sharply increased power use can sometimes point to illegal drug operations,
such as indoor marijuana farming.

"It's a clear invasion of privacy," Brown said yesterday. "If police want
the right to look at your utility bill, they should be able to get a
warrant. I think there is an issue of privacy here. Do we really want
narcotics officers, police officers, rummaging the records of utilities to
find out how much gas we burned in our own homes or how many kilowatts
we've used? We shouldn't just let anyone with a badge go snooping through
these records."

In a petition filed in August, the California Narcotic Officers'
Association argued that 'the ability to obtain utility user information
upon request is critical to law enforcement."