14 DAY TRIAL // Up to 400 individuals in Calgary, Canada, began receiving notifications from the police about personal details being exposed after five notepads containing the data have been stolen from a policeman’s car, five weeks ago.
The incident occurred on April 4, when a police rifle and ammunition were also stolen, but at the time law enforcement failed to mention the missing notebooks used by patrol officers to collect information, which included names, addresses, dates of birth, and driver’s license numbers of the people they interviewed.
Police data has to stay safe for a predefined amount of time
Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to protect information written in paper books, but in this case, the officer that lost the data had used the notepads since November 2013 until November 2014.
It goes without saying that probably nobody expected the thief to be this bold as to take police property, but it is unclear why the notebooks were still present in the car, considering that the data they contained was already in the system.
Police notebooks cannot be destroyed for a certain period after an incident occurs, but they do have to be kept in a safe place until data they include is considered expired.
It appears that in this case, Const. Stephen Baker had the notepads and the police gear in his personal car when he stopped at a bar. When he returned, the items were missing.
No suspects identified, bank statement checks are in order
The firearm and two magazines were recovered by the police two weeks later, and officials say this was possible with the help of the notebooks.
However, police spokesman Kevin Brookwell did not offer any details on the role the notepads played, and no suspects have been identified, according to Calgary Herald.
The total number of people whose personal information is currently exposed is between 350 and 400, and they will all receive a notification from the police regarding the circumstances of the incident.
Revealing the data breach was delayed because officers had to check the police records and identify the individuals who were impacted.
Anyone receiving a letter from the police about this matter is advised to monitor their credit reports and bank account statements for suspicious activity that could lead to fraud or identity theft.
On the other hand, the notebooks could have already been destroyed by the thief, which begs the question if any court cases are affected.