Original Blog Entry: Couple has house raided 50 times by mistake

truesee — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:20:33 GMT

Bloomberg apologizes to couple mistakenly 'raided' by NYPD over 50 TIMES

Kathleen Lucadamo

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Friday, March 19th 2010, 12:50 PM

Maisel/News

Walter and Rose Martin's address was plugged in as a computer test in 2002 and police didn't try to wipe it out of their system until 2007.

Mayor Bloomberg apologized Friday morning to the elderly couple in Brooklyn that the NYPD mistakenly visited more than 50 times in search of criminals.

I apologized to the people. I'm sorry that they were bothered, Bloomberg said on his weekly radio show. It's a shame it happened.

The Daily News reported this week that the Marine Park home of Walter and Rose Martin was repeatedly visited by detectives because of a computer glitch tied to the address.

The couple's address was plugged in as a computer test in 2002 and police didn't try to wipe it out of their system until 2007 when the Martin's complained about the unwanted door knocking.

But the law enforcement visits continued, leaving 83-year-old Walter and 82-year-old Rose weary and frightened.

After the News highlighted their plight, cops realized not every file bearing their address was purged from computers. Bloomberg said the problem has been fixed.

You'd think somebody would have caught it before, Bloomberg said. It got fixed. Sometimes things happen and it's a shame.

He added, The Police Department certainly didn't do it deliberately. And we are sorry they got bothered. I feel it, you feel it, (Police Commissioner) Kelly feels it, we all feel it. It's a shame it happened.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/03/19/2010-03-19_bloomberg_apologizes_to_couple_mistakenly_raided_by_nypd_over_50_times.html#ixzz0igAsJOV1

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