Assistant chief constable says a police-issue laptop, documents and a spreadsheet identifying more than 200 staffers were stolen from a private vehicle in Newtownabbey
followed an earlier leak of names of hundreds of officers and staff, deepening a crisis over the mishandling of personal information that could be used to target employees.
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office has launched an investigation. Simon Byrne, the chief constable of Northern Ireland, cut short a holiday to return to Northern Ireland and deal with the crisis.The crisis unfolded on Tuesday, when details of more than 10,000 officers and employees were published online. The ICO, which regulates data privacy laws, launched an investigation to establish the level of risk.
Liam Kelly, the chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, called for answers after the latest revelations. Political leaders and police representatives in the region are grappling with the security and financial implications of errors that could expose officers, including those who work undercover, to terrorist intimidation and attack.
After the initial breach, Kelly said many officers went to great lengths to shield their identities, in some cases not telling friends and associates that they were in the police. Gerry Kelly, Sinn Féin spokesperson on policing and justice, said the data breach could put lives in danger. Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland Secretary, also expressed deep concern.The PSNI blamed human error for releasing an Excel spreadsheet – in response to a freedom of information request – that was published on a freedom of information website called WhatDoTheyKnow on Tuesday at about 2.30pm. The spreadsheet did not give home addresses.
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