The Providence Journal reports an unsettling agreement just signed by the Motel 6 in Warwick, R.I. and the local police force, following a spate of criminal acts by guests including child prostitution and an in-room meth lab. Per official policy, the company will now hand over to law enforcement a daily list of who’s staying at the Motel 6 so that they can be screened for outstanding warrants or other criminal history.
Guests will not be informed that their presence at the motel—the semi-comfortable night’s sleep they’re paying for—is being relayed to the police. They’ll have no chance to ask questions, and, if they’re uncomfortable with being surveilled like they’re on probation, take their business elsewhere. From the Journal report:
Alerting motel guests that local police know their whereabouts “is not a normal process of our check-in,” said Victor Glover, a vice president of safety and security for G6 Hospitality, the parent company for Motel 6. “I don’t know that we have any plans of instituting that as we move forward.”
