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LA Not-So-Confidential: Los Angeles Police Protective League alerts members to breach

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Dissent

DataBreaches.net obtained a copy of the letter sent by the Los Angeles Police Protective League to its members after the Los Angeles Police Department exposed confidential files concerning racial bias/profiling complaints against officers. The text of the letter follows:

February 6, 2009

Dear Members and Friends:

The League has been made aware of a serious breach of privacy committed by the Los
Angeles Police Department that impacts our members. The names and personal information of all officers investigated by the Department for racial profiling/bias complaints in 2008 were negligently released on the Department’s Website and emailed to the public who have requested to receive the Police Commission’s agenda, highlighting why the League has fought so diligently to safeguard officer privacy.

The League was made aware of the Department’s error on Friday afternoon by a Los Angeles Times reporter. We immediately contacted the Police Commission to ensure that the data was removed from the Internet. It is unknown at this time how many people may have accessed the information in addition to the Times. The Times did not publish the names of the officers who have done nothing wrong. However, there is no way to retrieve the information that was already emailed out or downloaded by the public.

The 19-page PDF submitted from the Chief of Police’s office to the Los Angeles Police
Commission shows the names, ages, serial numbers, race, and gender of the accused officers. It also reveals the names and personal data of the complainant, the nature of the allegation, and disposition of the case.

The full report was accidentally uploaded to the Police Commission’s section of the
Website to update its meeting agenda material. It should be noted that the complaints against the officers were determined by the Department to be unfounded. This means not only was sensitive information disclosed, but the names of completely innocent officers may be irrevocably damaged.

The League has fought hard in recent years to ensure that the names and personal data of
officers being investigated for potential wrongdoing stay private, despite opposition from powerful opponents in the state legislature and the media, including State Senator Gloria Romero’s attempt to overturn the Copley decision protecting officer privacy for two years in a row.

Many people have questioned why the LAPPL has fought so hard to oppose the unraveling of the California Supreme Court ruling in Copley Press vs. Superior Court, which held that neither the media nor members of the public may have access to police discipline records filed or created during administrative appeals, including the identity of a disciplined officer, unless the officer waives his/her privacy right.

The negligent release of the report underscores a point that the LAPPL has been making for several years – confidential information about officers is not secure. Had the Times decided to publish the names, officers accused but cleared of wrongdoing may have had their reputations tarnished for good. Especially now that news stories find permanence on the internet, our officers and their families could easily find themselves living under a life-long cloud of suspicion.

In this latest incident, the Los Angeles Police Department demonstrated that it cannot
guarantee the confidentiality of even its own internal investigations. We appreciate the value of transparency; however, not at the risk of public safety or the safety of our officers and their families. To that end, I have personally called and made a complaint with the Department regarding this serious breach of privacy. I have requested that officers who were negligently identified be contacted by the Department and made aware of the situation. The Board of Directors has authorized our General Counsel to research causes of action available to the League and its members and will seek an immediate and fair remedy.

Very truly yours,

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Los Angeles Police Protective League

PAUL M. WEBER
President

Los Angeles Police Protective League
1308 West Eighth Street
Los Angeles, California 90017
phone: (213) 251-4554

Category: Breach IncidentsExposureGovernment SectorU.S.

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