Nassau County Police are investigating how hundreds of shredded law enforcement documents, generated by the Nassau County Po;ice Department, became confetti for Thursday's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
A parade-goer was on 65th and Central Park West when he found the confetti. At first he thought it was just a once in a million thing but as he gathered more confetti, he realized it wasn't.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City has become as traditional as turkey, but what 18-year-old Ethan Finkelstein discovered about this year's confetti was unconventional to say the least.
"There were thousands of pieces of white confetti paper all around us. We just picked up a handful and started going through it and we noticed there were more social security numbers, more address and phone numbers," said Finkelstein.
The confetti contained social security numbers, employee identification numbers, bank account numbers as well as pieces of an incident report.
Based on the seal and the info, it appears this confetti came from the Nassau County Police Department.
"They said they were going to do a thorough investigation into this and I trust that they will because it's their police officers information it looks like – but I kind of find it strange that they haven't tried to get in contact with the people who were on that block," said Finkelstein.
So far, Finkelstein has not heard from police.
He is home for college and says this incident has taught him a lesson he'll never forget.
"It doesn't even take a hacker, just someone picking up stuff off the street to find your information."
Macy's uses commercially manufactured multi-colored confetti – not shredded homemade or printed paper of any kind in the parade. Macy's is not aware of where that ‘confetti' came from, as it is not something the parade distributes or uses.
Nassau County Police say they are continuing their investigation. The NYPD says it would assist in the investigation if needed.
Friday, May 24 2013 7:32 AM EDT2013-05-24 11:32:02 GMT
The unofficial start of summer is being met with not so perfect beach weather. Many beach communities had been hoping for good weather this weekend following the destruction and rebuilding due to superstorm Sandy.
The unofficial start of summer is being met with not so perfect beach weather. Many beach communities had been hoping for good weather this weekend following the destruction and rebuilding due to superstorm Sandy.
Thursday, May 23 2013 6:28 AM EDT2013-05-23 10:28:29 GMT
The parolee shot and killed along with a Hofstra University student by police won praise from a state parole panel in 2011 before his conditional release from prison.
The parolee shot and killed along with a Hofstra University student by police won praise from a state parole panel in 2011 before his conditional release from prison.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 1:00 PM EDT2013-05-22 17:00:29 GMT
An emotional funeral service has been held for a Hofstra University student who was accidentally shot by police.
An emotional funeral service has been held for a Hofstra University student who was accidentally shot by police. Andrea Rebello's family followed the pastor Wednesday as he led her white cloth-draped coffin to the altar at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
Monday, May 20 2013 5:32 PM EDT2013-05-20 21:32:24 GMT
As a family prepared for the funeral of a Hofstra junior killed by a cop's bullet during a standoff with an armed intruder, questions remain about how police handled the situation.
As a family prepared for the funeral of a Hofstra junior killed by a cop's bullet during a standoff with an armed intruder, questions remain about how police handled the situation.
Sunday, May 19 2013 3:14 PM EDT2013-05-19 19:14:07 GMT
Authorities say one person is dead and another was injured when the vehicle they were in ran off the road and crashed into Huntington harbor on Long Island Saturday evening.
Authorities say one person is dead and another was injured when the vehicle they were in ran off the road and crashed into Huntington harbor on Long Island Saturday evening.
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