The Case Of Confidential Confetti ( Private Police Records ) Dropped At Macy's Parade

**claud3** · 11-26-2012

The Case of the Confidential Confetti: Private police records dropped over crowd at Macy’s parade

Published: 26 November, 2012, 00:38

The Mickey the Sailor (C) balloon floats down Central Park West during the 86th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York November 22, 2012. (Reuters/Gary Hershorn)

A New York police department is in trouble after its confidential documents were used as confetti in the city’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

Crowds standing alongside the signature floats and balloons during one of America’s biggest annual spectacles were bemused when confetti that turned out to be badly-shredded official records began landing on their clothes.

The documents, many of which were imprinted with the letterheads of the Nassau Police Department, contained social security numbers, addresses and license numbers.

More disturbingly, some of the recovered pieces appeared to be fragments of police reports, and private staff records – including those listing undercover officers.

One even detailed the route to be used by Mitt Romney during a presidential debate last month.

"I'm just completely in shock," Ethan Finkelstein, one of the first to notice the unexpected paper shower, told local PIX 11 television.

"How could someone have this kind of information, and how could it be distributed at the Thanksgiving Day Parade?"

Indeed, the provenance of the unusual ceremonial decorations remains a mystery.

Parade organizers Macy’s say this is not official confetti designated for the procession, as it normally uses "commercially manufactured, multicolor confetti, not shredded paper."

Nassau County Police have admitted that the documents belong to them, but say they have no idea how they found their way to the crowd.

"The Nassau County Police Department is very concerned about this situation. We will be conducting an investigation into this matter as well as reviewing our procedures for the disposing of sensitive documents," said Inspector Kenneth Lack.

http://rt.com/usa/news/macy-parade-c...ti-police-545/

How idiotic do you have to be, for this to happen

**F34R** · 11-26-2012

It doesn't necessarily have to be anything "idiotic". It could be an accident, mistake on some papers, etc.

**keefy** · 11-26-2012

I have worked in a few government buildings and they have locked waste paper bins for private stuff that needs shredding.
Once a week a company comes in collects the bins takes it to the wagon and shreds the lot on site then delivers the bins back empty.

Sounds to me they put their shredded documents in for recycling which is a bad idea. I have worked on rcycling plants too and I found all manner of private documents just laying around, bank statements, receipts, private letters and so on which is why I told my parents to not put their shredded docs in the recycling bins who knwos where they will end up.

If this is down to a external company whose job is primarily safe destruction of private information then they will get severely told off.