For the second time in 14 months, Victoria police are issuing a warning about the potential leak of personal information after a police notebook was lost.
In the latest instance, one was left for eight days at a house that was the subject of a search warrant, according to Cheryl Major,
“A letter has been provided letting persons who were in the notebook know of the privacy breach. And out of an abundance of caution, we’ve also provided them with safety tips, both personal and home safety tips,” Major said.
The department was notified about the missing item on Feb. 20, after officers took inventory from the search warrant.
This is not the first time an officer in the department has lost a notebook.
In December 2022, criminals used the information to commit at least one crime in the capital region.
“In the previous lost notebook incident, the member failed to report that the notebook had gone missing. In this case, the notebook was reported as soon as it was noticed missing. And the member followed all the policies, and procedures in place,” Major said.
But defense lawyer Donald McKay says his client’s personal information is in both notebooks.
“The message came through that she should take steps for preserving her safety. There was a home invasion that took place at her residence, right around the same time, which Saanich Police linked to the loss of the notebook,” McKay said.
After the first notebook was lost, VicPD asked the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner (OPCC) to conduct an investigation.
The officer responsible was reprimanded and found guilty of misconduct.
The OPCC only learned of the February 2024 incident Tuesday, and is looking into the circumstances further.
The department says it’s notified 26 individuals identified in the latest notebook and is looking into digitizing its notebooks to minimize risk in the future.
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Mary Griffin
