SAN DIEGO COMPUTER CONTAINING VITAL DATA STOLEN FROM FIREFIGHTERS UNION OFFICETheSanDiegoChannel.com - News - Firefighters Fear Identity Theft After RobberyComputer Containing Personal Information Stolen

POSTED: 9:46 am PDT April 15, 2004
UPDATED: 9:56 am PDT April 15, 2004

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego police are investigating a robbery at the office of the San Diego Firefighters Local 145 union in Grantville, 10News reported.
Computer Containing Firefighters Personal Information Stolen

The second-floor offices were burglarized sometime late Friday or early Saturday when a front glass door was broken.

A computer with personal information on 1,200 active and 2,000 retired firefighters was taken, according to Johnnie Perkins, director of community and government affairs for Local 145.

The older-model computer containing the firefighters' personal information was taken while newer equipment was left untouched, union officials told 10News.

"I mean this (computer) is brand new, but they didn't touch it," Perkins said.

They indicated that the theft may have been an inside job because the stolen computer was the only one containing confidential information on current and past firefighters.

"We believe this crime was targeted specifically to take identities of firefighters and paramedics," Perkins confirmed.

Firefighters are being warned to check their credit reports for suspicious activity because their Social Security numbers were stored in the stolen computer, according to 10News.

Firefighters and paramedics 10News spoke with said they are nervous about the possibility of their identity being stolen.

"There are rumors it was an inside job. You would hate to think it was. I'm kind of uneasy. It's your livelihood, your life depends on social, credit, all that stuff," paramedic Glenn Thomas told 10News.

If you have any information, call (800) 680-7289.

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