Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training board sued after leaking data of every officer in the state, including undercover police

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ST. PAUL, MN -  The Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) reportedly blew the cover of 257 undercover police officers putting their lives and the lives of their families at risk according to a lawsuit from The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA).

In the lawsuit, as reported by KARE11, the MMPOA alleges that the POST board, a body appointed by Governor Tim Walz, acting in compliance with a Minnesota Government Data Practices Act request released the names of all Minnesota Police Officers to the Invisible Institute, an Illinois non-profit organization which according to its website recognizes an urgent “need to have public and private conversations about the constellation of issues we refer to by the shorthand ‘race.’”

The Invisible Institute subsequently published a complete database of all Minnesota police officers both past and current, including the 257 undercover officers along with their hire dates, termination dates (if applicable) as well as their agency’s names.

The MMPOA argues “Plaintiff wishes to force the POST Board to immediately protect this data and take every step possible to keep the data private. Indeed, law-enforcement officers’ lives depend on it.”  

Crime Watch Mpls/Twin Cities described the release as, a “MAJOR eff up,” adding in a post to X “The names were published online, but then retracted, but likely not in time to protect them.”
 
An Invisible Institute spokesman told the outlet in a statement, “The National Police Index collects data from each state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) agency through Freedom of Information Act requests. We make public what we receive. We will stay tuned to how the courts rule on this complaint.”

They continued, “We took the previous data off the site, and have linked to the new dataset provided by POST. We recognize there’s certain limitations on the kinds of officer information that can be made public in some states. We think it is vital for the public to know the names and job histories of the officers serving in their communities. This kind of data has supported powerful reporting in Illinois, Utah, Louisiana, and beyond. Reporting from Minnesota has shown that the operations of the board are of pressing public interest.”

In a January 21st statement Minnesota Journalist Tony Webster revealed that he provided public data about Minnesota officers for the website of the Invisible Institute but acted immediately to remove the 257 names when notified on Tuesday but said that the data had already been “distributed to news organizations, and it was downloadable by anyone,” and “It is likely distributed beyond any assurance of effective recall.”

Erik Misselt, executive director of the POST Board, said in a statement to the Minnesota Star Tribune that the agency “recognizes the sensitivity of this issue.”

State Senator Warren Limmer, the Republican co-chair of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, told Pioneer Press Wednesday that the breach “demands our greatest scrutiny” adding the incident “is a massive failure by the POST Board.”

“Our peace officers already face significant risks, and those working undercover bear even greater dangers.” She added, “Exposing the identities of these officers jeopardizes hundreds of cases, years of police work, and — most importantly — the lives of the men and women dedicated to protecting our communities.”
 
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Comments

James

NONE of those cases is LAWFUL anyhow ...... You chumps are NOT law enforcement .... You are NOT officers of ANY LAWFUL court .... You deserve getting your heads blown off for the RIGHTS violations you inflict upon AMERICANS ...... IF you DON'T like the FACTS, then get another job .... You might as well anyhow, because pigdom ISN'T even going to exist much longer .... NEITHER are those admiralty, incorporated, B.A.R. association so-called courts .........

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