New York Police Department Data Breach (2012)

On November 25, 2012, the front page of the New York Post blasted the headline, “Drop Secret. Shred Alert! Covert cop files used as parade confetti.” The Post reported that shredded files appearing to contain material from Long Island’s Nassau County Police Department were dropped during this year’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The confetti reportedly contains the names and social security numbers of detectives as well as other confidential information. An anonymous law enforcement source indicated that the documents were to have been shredded and then burned. The Police Department is investigating and has vowed to conduct a review of its procedures “for the disposing of sensitive documents.” Although most data breaches don’t result in PII being strewn throughout the streets of New York, they can and often do become front page news and can have serious legal, regulatory, financial and reputational consequences.