PORTLAND, Maine — The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office exposed the Social Security numbers of approximately 180 people when it began using a new computer program to distribute arrest lists to the public and media outlets Tuesday.
The new software was programmed to automatically send electronic copies of the department’s recent arrests to area media outlets and post the information on the department’s Facebook page. Social Security numbers are considered sensitive personal information which can be used to access private accounts or in cases of identity theft.
“The software update inadvertently listed the Social Security numbers of approximately 180 individuals who were arrested between Aug. 27, 2012, and Sept. 4, 2012,” the sheriff’s office stated in its announcement Thursday night. “The error was discovered within 45 minutes of the initial posting and was immediately removed. It is believed that during that brief time, that approximately 70 people had access to the Social Security information.”
The sheriff’s office went on to state that the software update has been customized so that it does not disseminate Social Security numbers.
A phone call placed to the sheriff’s office Thursday evening seeking more information was not immediately returned.
Yeah . . . here are some identities I’d really like to steal. 0.o
Yeah, who cares. Serves them right for getting locked up.
Not ALL people arrested are guilty . Been there done that. That being said most are . I learned a few lessons well in my life chose your battles wisely some people have more power than others.
Right. We know that anyone arrested is obviously guilty. Why else would they be arrested?
Right & with stella credit reports.
You didn’t forge that bogus social security number.. someone else did.
All 180 should have their arrest repealed on improper handling of confidential information leading to a major personal breech of personal information causing undo anxiety.
Yes that would be wise to let out 180 criminals because of a clerical error. I would suggest that they be offered credit monitoring services (free of charge) but to release them of their criminal activities would be foolish.
The article states that they were arrestees. Here in the United States, one is only considered a criminal if found guilty by a jury of his or her peers— innocent until proven guilty. Assuming any of these arrestees were convicted would be to presume guilt.
Sorry….”ALLEGED criminal activity”. I wasn’t saying to lock them up without due trial, I was saying to NOT release without a legitimate reason.
Okay, post your social security number up here and let’s see how comfortable you feel.
What does that have to do with anything? These people who were arrested should be offered free credit monitoring services as justsaynotogovt suggested. They should not have their arrests vacated just because of a clerical error. If the arrest was clean, they deserve to go to court and prove (or not) their case for innocence, just like everyone else.
Not everyone who is arrested is guilty of a crime or has to go to court.
Who said anything about being comfortable about it?? A mistake happened, and it can be monitored to ensure nothing further comes of it, WITHOUT releasing them of being punished for their own crime. What you suggested was that we just release possible murderers, rapists, drunk drivers and wife beaters simply because too much personal info was released.
I would not be happy if it happened to me, and I don’t believe they deserve it to happen to them just because they were arrested. What I’m saying is that two wrongs don’t make a right.
What’s you addiction? Once a criminal always a criminal. They don’t deserve second chances. Go away.
Once a criminal, always a criminal? There are rehabilitated people all around us from all walks of life. That’s a fact, not an opinion – whether you like it or not.
Good grief. They were arrested, not convicted. And you are wrong about “once a criminal always a criminal.”
Idiots!
And I don’t mean the convicts.
They’re criminals. Who cares?
Really? so just because its a jail it doesnt matter? So,maybe some other dishonest person uses a inmates/arrested person ssnumber,buys a car and crashes into you/your family? Will it then matter?????
No fries it wouldn’t. Once a criminal always one. If I could spit on ever single criminal they would deserve it…why? Because they did something wrong beyond stealing a piece of bubble gum.
You do realize, I hope, that not everyone who is arrested is guilty.
Sounds to me like a violation of the U.S. Privacy Act of 1974, signed into Law by Richard Nixon. Time for those who were affected to look up and read U.S. Code, Title 42, Section 1983 – Civil Action for Deprivation of Rights. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/1983
People should learn about the Supreme Court ruling that Municipal Officers are not covered under State Immunities. Sorry but if I may quote an officer from that very department, “Sometimes you have to pay for your mistakes.”
Well if someone steals their identity it’ll probably increase their credit! lol. Who would like my SSN…you can only make it better!
Paying bills apparently is unnecessary to me because lets face it….we will die someday. Why bother.
“Social Security numbers are considered sensitive personal information which can be used to access private accounts or in cases of identity theft.”
Where art thee copy desk?
And it should be “revealed,” not “exposed.” I have the image of officers wearing trenchcoats and flashing them open to ‘expose’ the numbers. Why are they on Facebook?
Software does not automatically post anything unless it has been programmed to do so.
I hope that when all the applications and the internet implodes, there will still be people who know how to use a ledger, a dial telephone, write in cursive, set print… etc.
I agree with you 100% and someday it will happen, ether by nature or terrorist but it will happen.
Your also right, especially the younger generation, will be lost.
I remember my first summer out of high school. I waitressed at 2 restaurants. One was ‘old school’, handwritten orders, added by hand, ets. The other had computer ordering and bills.
The computer system went down at the second one, and EVERYONE freaked out, because they couldn’t add a bill, figure tax, etc. The tax tables were different for the 2 places (one sold alcohol so 7%, the other didn’t so 5.5%), so I was off by a few cents, but I was the only one who could do it.
It was rather amusing, and sad at the same time.
Who may I ask is running that outfit? They are not fired yet? This new generation of law enforcement officers are beginning to be embarrassing.
why are they providing their social security numbers to the police? The back of my soc sec card clearly states not for identification purposes. Why do the police need those numbers?
Because eventually it will be the tattoo on our forearm?
Criminals worrying about becoming crime victims. Ha!
That darned new fangled interwebs! How do I AOL? Where is the goggles?
How many law suits will there be from inmates ?
Now there are some identities worth stealing. This could be an intentional release to keep the con artists and frauds chasing dead ends.
Kinda expected the responses here. Basically we don’t care about anyones rights because is was reported they were arrested. Without knowing anything more we wipe away their rights. These people even if they are guilty have rights. OMG, its true. If you are really Americans you would be doing everything you can to protect their rights instead of arbitrarily wiping them out. Instead we look like many of our contemptuous third world countries when we do this. Democracy comes with some not so comfortable outliers we have to work on but you don’t blow away democracy because of them…
Why do they have their social security numbers anyway?
At least this police department found their mistake within 45 minutes & quickly corrected their mistake & apologized. Last month, a similar mistake happened to a police department in Connecticut. When they were contacted by a news reporter, informing them of their mistake, they refused to admit it was a mistake & claimed that it was perfectly legal to do so. It took a lawyer, a few days later, to finally explain to them that they were in violation of federal law & had left themselves open to federal & individual lawsuits. Here was a case of those charged with upholding the law in total ignorance of the law & trying to justify their actions.