St. Francis Officer Investigated for Data Snooping

ST. FRANCIS (AP) - A police chief in Anoka County has asked sheriff's officials to investigate whether one of his officers illegally accessed private data.

The request by St. Francis Chief Jeff Harapat could be one of the first tests of the state's tougher data practices law. The officer is accused of accessing recordings of candidates interviewing for a police department promotion and then sharing the recordings with others, including a City Council member.

The officer has been fired, although no reason was publicly given for his dismissal.

The privacy law was strengthened after reports of widespread snooping into the state's Driver and Vehicle Services database. Unauthorized access of data is a misdemeanor.

City Attorney Scott Lepak says the new law is largely untested.