SSNs, addresses inadvertently posted on Walpole PD's website

WALPOLE, Mass. — Social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers and other personal information was accidentally posted on Walpole Police Department's website.

The personal information was part of last week's dispatch log. The dispatch log contains a record of all incidents officer responded to, and that includes all of the personal information that is redacted from the press log. The dispatch log was inadvertently posted online and given to the Walpole Times.

Normally Walpole PD posts the press log, which automatically redacts the personal information.

Last week Ann Fleck's security alarm went off. It was a false alarm, but the 93-year-old's personal information was recorded in the system here at the Walpole Police Department. She was on the list that became published online, as reported on FOX25 News at 6.

Fleck had a sense of humor about it when FOX25 discussed it with her, but other might not think it's so funny.

"This was an oversight. I mean, it's literally the click of a mouse," said Chief John Carmichael.

Carmichael says he sent the log to the town's local newspaper, and then passed it along to be published on the police department's website. He said the information was posted at 9 a.m. Wednesday and wasn't taken down until around noon, when FOX25 alerted him to the problem.

"We immediately went on there and looked at it and confirmed it. We immediately took it down and then replaced it with the actual press log," he told FOX25.

The chief apologized and said they are going to be more vigilant with checking the information in the future.
Carmichael said that they are looking into contacting all the people on the list whose information was published.

Cox Media Group