Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Digest

County officials' computers stolen

By DAVID DECAMP
Published April 18, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY 

The list of victims reads like a who's who of Pasco County.

County Administrator John Gallagher. Budget director Mike Nurrenbrock. Development director Cindy Jolly. County Attorney Robert Sumner. Chief Deputy County Attorney Barbara Wilhite.

On Monday, they came to work and to discover thieves heisted their laptop computers, two projectors and a digital camera. Not that they took the Grade A stuff.

One laptop did not work. At least four of the 10 laptops were headed for the surplus dust bin. And pricier laptops were left alone. "This is kind of unusual," Gallagher said. "Real brand new computers, they left behind."

Nurrenbrock, who oversees the county's technology, said nothing confidential should be on the stolen computers. Private information is kept on servers, he said, while most of the information on the laptops can be found in public records. He said it's possible the laptops could have contained archived e-mails, but said "even that's pretty remote."

With no sign of a forced entry at the West Pasco Government Center, the thieves managed to steal $22,870 worth of items - all a parking lot away from the West Pasco headquarters of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. Authorities are still investigating why and how it happened, because officials reported all doors were locked.

[Last modified April 18, 2007, 03:06:40]