A hacking group (CabinCr3w) linked to Anonymous has claimed credit for posting the personal information of more than two dozen members of the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) command staff.
The LAPD is currently investigating the doxing incident, which listed property records, campaign contributions, biographical information and, in some cases, the names of children and family members.
However, LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith conceded the department could not prove the data was illegally obtained.
“It’s a creepy thing to do, but what they did doesn’t appear to be against the law. Of course there are concerns when officers’ private information is disseminated on public websites,” Smith told the LA Times.
“Part of our business is putting bad guys in jail, and they don’t need to know personal information about our officers. We are very concerned for the safety of our officers and their families.”
Meanwhile, a CabinCr3w member told KPCC the information was posted in retaliation for the LAPD’s “violent oppression” during the recent clearing of the Occupy LA encampment.
“It all comes from those [LAPD] actions, and how the protesters are now being treated like criminals for practicing a fundamental right… We are just exposing the powers at be that get to sit at home while peaceful protesters are beaten.”
But Smith claimed the majority of the doxed officers were not involved in raiding the Occupy camp, as some of the listed command staff had actually retired.
“They’re private citizens trying to live their lives in peace after serving 30 years,” Smith said. ”Now somebody throws all their personal information into the public forum. Most of those people were not involved in the Occupy LA clearing… They just got ahold of random police officers, and some random civilians who had nothing to do with that.”
Meanwhile, CabinCr3w said it would continue to monitor the official response to Occupy and vowed to expose those responsible for evicting protestors.
“We will not go down without a fight. We don’t do things for ‘the lulz’ we do things because real peoples rights are being taken away.
“We live in a world that people are sitting idle while their freedom is being stripped…The government wants to stop this movement, we have reached a turning point, and we are recording the wrongdoings along the way.”
