Police Recover Computer Drive Containing Personal Data

Tuesday, August 21st 2007, 7:11 am

By: News On 6

BOISE, Idaho (AP) _ Police have recovered a small computer drive containing Social Security numbers and other personal information about every Army National Guard soldier in Idaho.

Police returned the device to the Guard for investigation, police Lt. Alan Cavener said. He said there was no indication the information has been accessed.

Names, addresses, birth dates and Social Security numbers for roughly 3,400 Guard members were on the drive.

It was stolen early last week out of a soldier's car while she was traveling on official duty, the National Guard said.

Police arrested one juvenile male in connection with the theft and a string of other car burglaries after getting a call early Saturday about two prowlers.

A police dog found a young man hiding in bushes; several stolen items were found in his car, police said.

A search warrant served later at the juvenile's home yielded the Guard laptop computer and thumb drive, along with numerous other stolen items, police said.

Cavener said another juvenile is also being investigated in the thefts.

The thumb drive had been left overnight in the soldier's car, parked outside a home in a Boise neighborhood that's been hit with multiple car burglaries. Though the car was locked, windows were rolled down far enough for the thieves to gain access without forcing entry.

The Idaho Guard has said the soldier violated no policies and faced no sanction, but the Guard is reviewing all its processes for handling sensitive personal information.

Guard members were notified of the theft by phone and mail.