On November 25 , 2012 , the front page of the New York Post blasted the headline , “ Drop Secret . Shred Alert ! Covert cop files used as parade confetti . ” The Post reported that shredded files appearing to contain material from Long Island ’s Nassau County Police Department were dropped during this year ’s Thanksgiving Day parade . The confetti reportedly contains the names and social security numbers of detectives as well as other confidential information . An anonymous law enforcement source indicated that the documents were to have been shredded and then burned . The Police Department is investigating and has vowed to conduct a review of its procedures “ for the disposing of sensitive documents . ” Although most data breaches do n’t result in PII being strewn throughout the streets of New York , they can and often do become front page news and can have serious legal , regulatory , financial and reputational consequences . ;