Officer suspended for excessive computer searches

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Officer Justin Pereira has been with the Ormond Beach Police Department for two years, long enough to know there are very strict rules when it comes to using the "DAVID" system, according to his police Captain. 

According to investigators Periera ran 29 searches in a matter of 13 minutes, looking into background information regarding a woman and her father.  

In February, the police captain did an audit of his department's use of the DAVID system, or Driver And Vehicle Identification Database.  The captain noticed the searches by Pereira -- that according to the internal affairs report "did not appear to be related to a call."

"It has to be for a legitimate purpose. It can't be to run an ex-girlfriend or a new boyfriend of your ex-wife.  It has to be because you are doing legitimate police work," said Police Union Spokesman Mike Scudiero, who is not involved in this particular case. "If they misuse it, the whole agency can have it's privileges suspended or revoked by the state."

Scudiero says officers who use the system know they are using a monitored system.  

"The state has a pop-up window that comes up on laptop of every officer when they go to enter system that reminds them this must be for a law enforcement purpose and you have to click a box acknowledging that," he said.

Investigators say they talked to the woman and her father who were part of the search and they said they do not know Periera.  According to the report, Periera said he saw the woman speeding and looked up her information, but investigators say Periera never did a traffic stop.

Periera was suspended without pay for 12 hours.