U.S. Attorneys, Attorney General, Legislators and Police to Blanket State for Saturday’s Shred-a-thon

Media and public can meet identity theft experts, destroy documents for free, win prizes and more

STATEWIDE – Washington residents and news media can meet with officials from the state Attorney General’s Office, U.S. Attorneys Office, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and local police and sheriffs departments on April 28 when they blanket the state to help educate the public about reducing their risk of becoming identity theft victims. Experts will be present at 29 locations as part of a statewide shred-a-thon organized by Washington’s Law Enforcement Group Against Identity Theft, better known as LEGIT.

The statewide shred-a-thon is the first for Washington, and possibly the nation, and aims to assist the public in keeping sensitive documents out of the hands of crooks.

Consumers and small businesses are invited to bring sensitive documents to be destroyed at no charge by commercial shred trucks, which are donating their services. Events are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until trucks are full, whichever comes first. In order to accommodate as many people as possible, there is a limit of three grocery bags or two file boxes per customer.

Free personal shredders will be given away at some locations. More information about the shred-a-thon, including a list of suggested items to destroy is available on the LEGIT Shred-a-thon Web site at www.atg.wa.gov/Shredathon.aspx.

Event locations and officials who will be available include:

Aberdeen:  Bank of the Pacific, 300 E Market St. Banks shaped like miniature shred cans will be given away. Shredding donated by LeMay Mobile Shredding.

SPECIAL MEDIA AVAILABILITY - Bellevue:  Attorney General Rob McKenna and IRS Collections Director Harry Manaka will be available for media interviews and to meet with the public from 1-1:30 p.m. at Washington Mutual, Factoria Mall, 4055 Factoria Sq Mall S.E. Children can have photos taken with a motorcycle cop. Drawing for free personal shredders. Shredding donated by Iron Mountain.

Bellingham: 

• Industrial Credit Union, 3233 Northwest Ave. Shredding donated by Sound Recycling.
• Police Chief Randy Carroll will be at Office Max, 1055 E. Sunset Dr. Rep. Dale Brandland may attend part of the day. Drawing for free personal shredders. Shredding donated by Iron Mountain.

Bremerton:  State Rep. Larry Seaquist may attend part of the day at Westsound Bank, 607 Pacific Ave. Shredding donated by Recall Total Information Management.

Centralia:  Centralia and Chehalis police will be at Fairway Shopping Center, 1600 S Gold St. Shredding donated by Recall Total Information Management.

Ellensburg:  Sheriff Gene Dana will be at Super 1, 200 E. Mt. View Ave. Shredding donated by Data Base Secure Records Destruction.

Everett:   Police Chief Jim Scharf and Social Security Administration Agent Joe Rogers will be at BECU Financial Center, 11127 Evergreen Way S. Drawing for personal shredders. Shredding donated by Iron Mountain.

Gig Harbor:  State Rep. Larry may attend part of the day at Rainier Pacific Bank, 3123 56th St. Ct. N.W. Gig Harbor Police Detective Fred Douglas will be present. Drawing for personal shredder. Desktop banks shaped like miniature shred cans will be given away. Shredding donated by LeMay Mobile Shredding.

Kennewick:  Norma Chavez, Hispanic Outreach Coordinator for the Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division, will be at Global Credit Union, 7601 Seaquist W. Clearwater Ave. Drawing for personal shredders. Shredding donated by Recall Total Information Management.

Kirkland:  State Rep. Ross Hunter may attend part of the day at Honda of Kirkland, 12345 N.E. 85th St. Rebecca Sears, Outreach and Education Coordinator for the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, will be available all day. Shredding donated by Data Base Secure Records Destruction.

Lakewood:  Key Bank at Lakewood Towne Center, 10439 Gravelly Lake Dr. S.W. Shredding donated by Recall Total Information Management. Drawing for personal shredders.

Lynnwood:  Verity Credit Union, 18530 33rd Ave W. across from Alderwood Mall. Drawing for personal shredders. Shredding donated by Datasite Business Archives.

Moses Lake:  Wheatland Bank, 1442 S. Pioneer Way. Free flying discs, balloons and soda. Shredding donated by United Data Security.

Olympia/Lacey:

• West Olympia:  Thurston County Sheriff Dan Kimball and Chief Jim Chamberlain will attend part of the day at Key Bank, 2920 Harrison Ave. W. Sgt. Dunn will be available all day. Drawing for personal shredders. Shredding donated by United Data Security. 
•  Lacey:  Mark Johnson and Vicky Marin of the Washington Retailers Association and Lacey police will be at South Sound Center, 651 Sleater Kinney Rd., near PetSmart. Shredding donated by Data Base Secure Records Destruction.

Puyallup: State Rep. Dan Roach will attend part of the day and Washington State Patrol Detective Dave Startup will be available at Rainier Pacific Bank-South Hill branch, 109 35th Ave. S.E. Drawing for personal shredders. Desktop banks shaped at miniature shred cans will be given away. Shredding donated by LeMay Mobile Shredding.

Seattle:

• SPECIAL MEDIA AVAILABILITY - Northgate:  U.S Attorney Jeff Sullivan will be available for media interviews and to meet with the public from 11-11:30 a.m. at Sterling Savings Bank, 828 N.E. Northgate Way. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Lincoln will be available for the entire event. Pens with anti-check washing ink will be given away. Shredding donated by Data Base Secure Records Destruction.
• Ballard:  Attorney Kathryn Decker of the Federal Trade Commission, Investigator Tim Schindele, of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, Detective Chris Johnson of the King County Sheriff’s Office, Lemon Law Program Manager Paul Corning and others will be available at HomeStreet Bank, 8050 15th Ave N.W. Drawing for personal shredders. Shredding donated by American Data Guard (ADG).
• Capitol Hill:  Steve Larsen, Seattle Section Chief of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, Federal Trade Commission Attorneys Dave Horn and Julie Mayer, and Seattle police will be at Key Bank, 321 15th Ave. E. Drawing for personal shredders. Shredding donated by Iron Mountain.

Spokane/Spokane Valley:

• Spokane:  U.S. Attorney James McDevitt, Spokane COPS Director Christine Hamilton and experts from the sheriff’s office will be at Banner Bank, 4407 N. Division St.
• Spokane Valley:  Prosecuting Attorney Steve Tucker, Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick will be at Sterling Savings Bank Argonne Branch, 507 N. Mullan Rd. Pens will anti- check washing ink will be given away.

Sumner:  Police Chief Colleen Wilson will be at the Red Apple parking lot, 822 Alder St. Banks shaped like miniature shred cans will be given away. Shredding donated by LeMay Mobile Shredding.

Tacoma:  Officials will be available at the Tacoma Police Department, 3701 South Pine St. Identity theft information DVDs will be given away. Shredding donated by Iron Mountain.

Vancouver/Ridgefield:

• Vancouver:  Vancouver Police Chief Cliff Cook will be available from 10 – 11 a.m. at Luepke Senior Center in Central Park, 1009 E. McLoughlin, adjacent to the Marshall Community Center. Shredding donated by Iron Mountain. Refreshments donated by Loaves and Fishes.
• Ridgefield:  Officials from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office will be at the Public Utilities Home & Garden Idea Fair, Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds, 17402 NE Delfel Rd., take the 179th Street Exit off of I-5 or I-205. Shredding donated by Iron Mountain.
  Wenatchee/East Wenatchee:  Numerica Credit Union, 477 Grant Rd. in East Wenatchee. Drawing for a bag of cash! Shredding donated by Data Base Secure Records Destruction.

Walla Walla:  Banner Bank - Blue Mountain branch, 1661 W. Rose St. Free hot dogs, balloons, stickers, bottled water and pens. Shredding donated by CI Shredding

Yakima:  France Bega from the U.S. Postal Inspector Service and representatives from Yakima Valley Credit Union will be at Wray's Chalet, 5605 Summitview. Shredding donated by Data Base Secure Records Destruction.

- 30 –

Media Contact: Kristin Alexander, Attorney General’s Office, (206) 464-6432

LEGIT: Washington’s Law Enforcement Group Against Identity Theft - 500 Fourth Avenue, Room 840  ▪  Seattle, WA  98104