WHITEHORSE — The Yukon government says an electronic database of records was not compromised in a break-in at the victim services office in Whitehorse, but staff are still completing an inventory of paper records.
It comes as police announce half a dozen charges in connection with the break-in, saying they found items believed to be from the office both in the accused's possession and his home.
The break-in happened sometime between last Friday night and Saturday morning and caused the closure of the office until next week while staff work to confirm whether confidential information belonging to victims of crime has been compromised.
A statement from the government says an assessment of the highest risk cases is complete, but every client’s file will be carefully examined over the course of the inventory.
RCMP in Whitehorse say days after the break-in a man was arrested for allegedly breaking into a downtown business and was found with items believed to be taken from the government office.
The man faces charges, including break and enter, possession of break-in instruments, robbery and assault.
The government's statement says some physical security improvements have already been completed at the office and further improvements will be made as part of a review of security features.
"I would like to thank the RCMP for their very timely work to identify and apprehend the suspect and to recover items stolen from the Victim Services Whitehorse office," Justice Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee said in a statement.
"I would also like to thank the staff of the Victim Services Branch who have responded to this crime with the compassion, attentiveness and professionalism that victims have come to expect from the victim service workers at the Department of Justice."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2024
The Canadian Press
