This week media reports revealed that a significant data breach occurred at the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board, exposing the identities of every undercover peace officer in the state. The POST Board has confirmed it is notifying 257 officers believed to be impacted by the breach.

“Our officers are already at an incredible risk due to the nature of their jobs – every day they go into work, they are putting their lives on the line, and the risk is far greater for undercover officers, and now their information has been compromised,” said Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville). “Not only does this breach expose them, but it puts their families at risk. We are now also faced with potentially losing years’ worth of their investigative work. The severity of this breach cannot be overstated.”

Notably, the POST Board Executive Director position is appointed by Gov. Tim Walz.

“This is yet another misstep on Governor Walz’s watch. The POST Board Executive Director is appointed by him and answers to him, and must be held accountable for this error,” continued Howe. “It’s time for our Governor to step up and hold folks accountable for these devastating missteps, especially when they are putting others at risk. This is a catastrophic oversight, and we must demand answers.”

It was also discovered that the data had been publicly available online for the past five months but was taken down when the breach was identified.

It was also announced Thursday that the Minnesota Police Association is suing the POST Board for this data leak.