NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An East Tennessee police department is admitting what one officer had on his desktop computer was unacceptable.
It comes after NewsChannel 5 Investigates found personal information and disturbing jokes on a computer the department released to the public.
This discovery has raised concerns about the sale of used computer equipment.
Johnathon Rogers owns a small store in White County, Tennessee and searches websites like Gov Deals that sell used government computers.
“This is the paperwork here of the equipment I bought from them,” said Rogers.
He was shocked by what he found on a computer he obtained from the Greeneville Police Department in northeast Tennessee.
The police department's desktop computer had the hard drive still inside -- unerased.
It contained files involving the FBI, alarm rosters and budgets dating back to 1999 -- even an officer’s tax return.
“There was an excel spreadsheet that I did see that had names, socials, addresses,” Rogers admitted.
At first, the Greenville Police Department denied Rogers had the computer with the information, but when we sent screen shots, the chief admitted Rogers did in fact have a hard drive with years of police data.
Still, he questioned how Rogers got it.
Greenville's police chief said they never meant to sell the computer. It was in a room beside laptops Rogers had bought. He said Rogers may have accidentally loaded the wrong computer into his truck.
Rogers accuses the department of trying to cover up its own mistake.
“That police department loaded this stuff in my truck and said we have to go,” said Rogers.
Fueling the department's embarrassment is a file marked funny containing sexually inappropriate videos including files named Erotic Hypnosis, Why Women Are Cranky, and Beer is Good for You.
The chief said the material was clearly unacceptable and claimed it was put on the computer years ago by an officer who no longer works with the department.
Police departments and government agencies sell lots of surplus equipment on sites like Gov Deals. We spoke to GOV Deals which said they'd never had a problem like this before.
But it can happen. In Washington State, a state audit last year found that not all state organizations removed confidential information before releasing computers for sale. In some cases social security numbers and other sensitive information was released.
The Tennessee Legislature passed a law last year requiring any state agency to notify the Comptroller if there is a release of personal information. But that law does not apply to local governments or police departments.
Johnathan Rogers has not put the computer up for sale, but the bizarre case highlights what can happen in the sale of used computer equipment and the embarrassment or worse that it can cause.
