The Driver and Vehicle Information Database, known as DAVID, is a database operated by the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and is used by many law enforcement agencies as an important investigative tool due to the information contained within. One important function of the agencies that allow their employees access to DAVID is to ensure the information is secured and not misused in violation of federal and state law, under a provision known as the Driver Privacy and Protection Act codified in 18 U.S.C. § 2721 (1994). Literature on general deterrence suggests that methods can be taken from an oversight standpoint that would allow for better control and deter users from misusing the data contained within DAVID. This study hypothesized that, if provided, standard operating procedures, ethics training, acceptable use policies, and consistent disciplinary procedures would act to improve oversight and be effective general deterrents against such misuse. The study tested the hypotheses using (n = 86) DAVID points of contact from various police agencies in Florida by way of an online survey. The results indicated a statistically significant relationship between standard operating procedures and acceptable use policies on oversight and deterrence. The null hypothesis could not be rejected regarding ethics training and disciplinary procedures on oversight and deterrence. The results supported two of the four hypotheses, and they may serve as a pathway to develop better administrative policies and procedures to improve the oversight process and help deter users from misusing DAVID in violation of law.
Keywords: D.A.V.I.D., DPPA, FLHSMV, driver license, point of contactChapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 -- Driver and Vehicle Information Database 1 -- Driver Privacy Protection Act 2 -- DAVID Point of Contact 4 -- History of Abuse 6 -- Statement of the Problem 8 -- Objectives of the Research 9 -- Research Questions 10 -- Summary 12 -- Chapter II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 14 -- General Deterrence Theory 14 -- Fourth Amendment and Government Databases 18 -- Standard Operating Procedures 20 -- Ethics Training 22 -- Acceptable Use Policy 25 -- Disciplinary Procedures and Enforcement 28 -- Chapter III: METHODOLOGY 34 -- Introduction 34 -- Hypothesis 34 -- Survey Instrument 36 -- Study Participants and Data Collection 38 -- Study Measures 41 -- Agency Demographics 41 -- POC Demographics 43 -- Study Procedure 44 -- Summary 44 -- Chapter IV: RESULTS 46 -- Introduction 46 -- Descriptive Statistics 46 -- Hypothesis 1 52 -- Hypothesis 2 53 -- Hypothesis 3 54 -- Hypothesis 4 55 -- Summary 57 -- Chapter V: DISCUSSION 59 -- POC and Agency Demographics 60 -- Historical Context of Descriptive Statistics 62 -- Research Question 1 63 -- Research Question 2 65 -- Research Question 3 67 -- Research Question 4 68 -- Implication of the Findings 71 -- Limitations of the Study 72 -- Future of DAVID and Other Databases 74 -- Recommendations 77 -- Conclusion 79 -- REFERENCES 82Glen, Carol M.Song, MinsunMurillo, Albert G.D.P.A.Public Administratio
