[alsaqr]

Seems like the Mesa county sheriff's Dep't put the names of their dope informants on the web along with a whole lot of other stuff. Gives a whole new meaning to "serve and protect".

Colorado database leak puts informants in jeopardy - Yahoo! News

DENVER – A Colorado sheriff's online database mistakenly revealed the identities of confidential drug informants and listed phone numbers, addresses and Social Security numbers of suspects, victims and others interviewed during criminal investigations, authorities said.

[orangello]

Snitches...stitches.

[SecPro]

Ain't that a b****

[robocop10mm]

In the attempt to increase transparency and public access, an agency can open a huge can of worms. Administrators make decisions based on very limited knowledge of information technology. Most LE computer systems were never intended to be given any degree of public access. To allow any access is to allow complete access. We have developed a separate public area that information is transferred to rather than try to allow limited access into the regular system.

[oldshooter]

In the olden days,before computers, we kept our informants names at home in a locked box. About the only ones who knew who they were was a partner and maybe the Chief.
Now days there is just way to much information floating around out there. Some of it could get you killed.

[russ]

Worse than just that, we were told that all CCW license information was also part of that leak. Everyone I know now has a Fraud Alert on their name through the three credit bureaus. Several people here have reported illegal activity related to their financial accounts.

[jeepcreep927]

That's going to turn into a problem I bet. I keep all my informant info on paper locked in my desk. Their names never go into ANYTHING. Even our C/I contracts are hand written.

Administrative types tend to lose track of where they came from in a lot of instances.

[cpttango30]

I would have two separate systems for a private and public in any LEO system. The private system would be guarded by some serious firewalls and such. All my email would be postini as they have the best track record of security and privacy.

If you wanted information on the public part of the network IE web site ect... It would be a hand carried upload in the building.

[AIKIJUTSU]

CO Sheriff's Dep't Rats on Drug Informants
Sometimes a "convenient" way to communicate (the "web") can be your worst nightmare. Never put anything on the web that you don't want the whole world to know.

[brolin_1911a1]

This appears to be an ultimate example of the classic "Reply All" fubar.