TEXAS COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM AGENCY CONTAINING POLICE PERSONAL INFORMATION Thousands of police at risk | CRIME | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas:

Thousands of police at risk

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12:48 AM CDT on Saturday, May 19, 2007

Police tell us to guard our personal information closely. But it is the police who are now at risk.

The trouble starts at the northwest side offices of Productivity Center. On May 9, burglars hit the building and several others in the area.

They took numerous desktop and laptop computers.

One of the laptops contained the database of all Texas Law Enforcement Officers. Their Social Security numbers, birth dates, driver's license numbers, ect.

That is what police departments were notified by TCLEOSE- the agency that licenses peace officers in Texas.

According to an E-mail obtained by 11 News.

The information of all Texas Law Enforcement officers from police on the street, to jailers and even undercover officers.

Anyone who has a TCLEOSE certification- nearly 230,000 men and women.

None of the officers 11 News talked to including Houston police Chief Harold Hurtt would comment on camera.

Many expressed concern not just because of the threat of identity theft, but the possibility of threats to their personal safety.

If their information was, exposed TCLEOSE does not think that it was specifically targeted.

Because of the numerous break-ins in the area that night

11 News also confirmed that the information on those computers is protected by passwords in two places, preventing casual access. However, a skilled computer user could eventually access this information.

Making every cop in the state a potential victim.

That’s why every officer in the state is being asked to keep a close eye on his or her credit reports for any sign of unusual activity.

But so far officers here at HPD have not been notified officially about the thefts. When 11 News asked him specifically about the progress of the investigation, Chief Hurtt said he did not want to comment further because he "doesn't want to spook them."