LA- Background checks lead to 15 evacuee arrests

Public emergency shelters such as those used during hurricanes are substadized by federal funds and are required to follow federal laws. While I don't know if the forms used by the police, did or did not, contain a disclosure informing the person about his rights, regarding his personal information, but that information cannot be used or even shared with other agencies without such disclosure. Title 5 Sec. 552a(b) which states "(b) Conditions of Disclosure.— No agency shall disclose any record which is contained in a system of records by any means of communication to any person, or to another agency, except pursuant to a written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertains, unless disclosure of the record would be— ..."

9-3-2008 Louisiana:

Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator doesn't mind helping hurricane evacuees -- just not the visiting criminal element.

Everyone who fled Hurricane Gustav had to fill out a brief
questionnaire when they arrived at shelters in the parish. Prator said his deputies then ran background checks on them.

Of the approximately 10,000 people in shelters in Caddo Parish, authorities arrested 15 people wanted on felony charges, including three unregistered sex offenders.

Prator suspects another 1,000 people put false information on the forms. Deputies couldn't find any records -- criminal or otherwise -- in the computers on them, he said.

People were arrested on warrants charging them with carjacking, drug crimes and parole violations. Their pictures are posted at the Sheriff's Department command post at the Hirsch Coliseum shelter.

Prator said deputies are only pursuing felonies. But civil rights attorney Mary Howell said she believes there's still a problem because such arrests could have a chilling effect on getting people to evacuate in the future.

Officials in New Orleans said they had no knowledge of the
background checks. Those wishing to use the city's assisted
evacuation system had been assured they would not be pressed for identification in order to board buses out of town.

Prator said he wanted to run background checks of evacuees after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but said he was unable to. Since then, he says they've had that changed. He says they want to help evacuees, but they also want to know who's in town. ..News Source.. by KTBS3.com