A patrol rifle that was stolen from an off-duty police officer’s vehicle back in April has been found but five notebooks that could contain the personal information of people the officer interviewed have still not been recovered.

Police are asking for help from the public to find the notebooks, which were taken from the officer’s vehicle on Saturday, April 4, along with a police-issue patrol rifle.

Police say they were aware that the notebooks were taken when the incident happened but that the information was withheld for investigative reasons.

“It was felt that these items would be kept as hold back evidence, knowing that very few people knew who had them or who took them. As it turned out, these notebooks played a major role in being able to recover that rifle so it was an investigative decision that was made, balancing the need to get information regarding the location of the rifle with these notebooks being missing,” said Calgary Police spokesperson Kevin Brookwell.

Police say the five notebooks were in the officer's duty bag along with administrative reports, his ticket book, and reflective vest.

The notebooks may contain the dates of birth, home addresses, driver’s licence numbers and other personal information from as many as 350 to 400 people.

Brookwell says police started recreating the information that was contained in the notebooks right after the theft and that they cover a period from November 2013 to October 2014.

"What we don't want is to panic the whole city so we have a good idea of that 350 to 400 people based on how we've recreated those notebooks so far and we will reach out to them personally," said Brookwell.

Police are sending letters to those people who had contact with the officer and may have had their information breached and say they are taking the steps to ensure those affected can take precautions against identity theft and fraud.

Anyone who may be affected is encouraged to:

  • Conduct regular reviews of their credit report
  • Monitor their mail for credit card statements or other bills that come in their name, but that they did not apply for
  • Check credit or debit card statements for any suspicious activity
  • Report any suspected fraudulent activity to financial institution

Brookwell says it is not uncommon for officer's to take notebooks home as they use them to prepare for court cases but the expectation is that they keep the information secure.

Calgary police have notified the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta and will continue to work with members of the public who are impacted by the theft.

The patrol officer involved is currently suspended with pay. Brookwell says a review will take place on May 15 and it will be up to the chief to decide if the suspension should continue or not.

So far police have no suspects in the case and have made no arrests.