Littleton police post sensitive information on website

LITTLETON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) A Massachusetts police department is apologizing for giving criminals the tools they need to steal people's identities by posting citizens' private information on the World Wide Web.

The snafu came when the Littleton Police Department inadvertently posted on the department web site a police log that had not only the names but Social Security numbers, dates of birth and addresses of everyone who came in contact with the department between Jan. 7-14.

Littleton police normally post their public police log on their website, but that only reveals the names, addresses and dates of birth of people who are arrested. Social Security numbers are never posted.

FOX Undercover found that the police login question had sensitive information for everybody who called, including an elderly man asking for help because an 80-year-old woman fell and couldn't get up and a woman asking for a police escort to her car in a parking lot.

In all, about 130 identities were revealed on the Littleton police web site for about a week until FOX Undercover called to let the Littleton police know about the posting.

Littleton police apologized, saying the sensitive information was posted thanks to either a computer glitch or human error. Police said they would be contacting everyone whose personal information was accidentally released and also suggested that people monitor their credit reports to make sure no one tries to steal their identities.

Cox Media Group