American Scene

COLORADO

Database leak puts informants in jeopardy

DENVER | A Colorado sheriff’s online database mistakenly revealed the identities of confidential drug informants and listed phone numbers, addresses and Social Security numbers of suspects, victims and others interviewed during criminal investigations, authorities said.

The breach potentially affects some 200,000 people, and Mesa County sheriff’s deputies have been sifting through the database to determine who, if anyone, is in jeopardy.

“That in itself is probably the biggest concern we have, because we’re talking about people’s personal safety,” Sheriff Stan Hilkey said.

The FBI and Google Inc. are trying to determine who accessed the database, the sheriff said. Their concern: That someone may have copied it and could post it, WikiLeaks-style, on the Internet.

CONNECTICUT

State seeks access to Google data grab

HARTFORD | Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says he has asked Google for access to data it collected from public Wi-Fi networks in the state.

The U.S. senator-elect said Friday that he and the state Consumer Protection Department issued a “civil investigative demand” that says Google must provide access to the data by Dec. 17 or face being taken to court.

Earlier this year, Google revealed it had mistakenly collected data from Wi-Fi networks during its Street View mapping project in more than 30 countries. It apologized in a statement Friday and said it will continue cooperating with authorities.

Mr. Blumenthal and officials in nearly 40 other states have been seeking access to the data for months to see if Google improperly accessed e-mails, passwords and other private data.

DELAWARE

Woman arrested in burqa robberies

WILMINGTON | State police say they’ve arrested a Wilmington woman who committed two bank robberies while wearing a burqa.

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