St Albans taxpayers deserve an answer over laptop theft (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

St Albans taxpayers deserve an answer over laptop theft

10:46am Tuesday 17th November 2009 in

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“SORRY” seems to be the easiest word at St Albans District Council at the moment.

A few weeks ago an apology swiftly followed the Review’s article which revealed that parking tickets issued by the district council since March were invalid due to an administration error.

And this week the council’s chief executive Daniel Goodwin was forced to apologise again after the Review reported that a fourth laptop, containing the personal details of more than 14,000 people, had gone missing.

This follows three laptop thefts last week.

So just what is going on at the council?

Who knows?

One aspect is certain however.

It is one thing making an administration error that sees illegally parked motorists refunded, but it is completely another when the names, addresses, dates of birth and even signatures of taxpayers are left on a laptop which is stolen.

Until all the facts are known it will remain quite difficult to criticise or praise the council’s security measures.

We live in a time when thieves are willing to take their chances when the smallest opportunity occurs.

To understand how liable the council is we need to know where the laptops had been left; how long they had been there for and where they were eventually taken from.

In a bid to play the event down the district council’s press office told us that there was a “slight risk” the information could be accessed before telling those who did not know that information such as names and addresses are available on the Electoral Register.

Yes, thanks for the reminder but I think most people are concerned because the list includes 14,673 signatures.

Those whose details have been included on the computers also have a right to ask why their signatures have been stored on a laptop which can be pinched by someone who is being labelled an opportunist thief.

Not a criminal mastermind but some kind of chav who wandered by and liked what he or she saw.

So what do the people of our district think about this latest incident?

Let us take some of the comments that were left on our website after we uploaded the article.

Tory group leader Julian Daly, who must believe all of his Christmases have come early with the parking ticket fiasco and now this, said: “The thief has everything short of bank account details.

“This council is beginning to look accident prone.”

Review reader SBee left the following comment on our website: “Can somebody please advise me what can be done to prevent this confidential info being used as I am probably one of those whose details are on the laptop. I am not very happy to say the least.”

Fellow reader FatBob (his selected name) asks: “How did this opportunistic thief get past security to access the non-public areas in the building?”

And Vanessa adds: “So many agencies have the right to ask and keep confidential information on us and yet seem to lose it all too easily.”

All pertinent points and statements which are worthy of an answer.

Inside the council offices an internal investigation has been launched.

I am sure the taxpayers of St Albans will be eager to know more about its conclusion.

An apology on this issue is a good start, but as many have suggested on our website, those whose details are on the laptop deserve some answers too.