06:41 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 3, 2006

By Nancy Holland / 11 News

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Officials at Houston Community College are taking action after learning that some personal records from their campus were being sold on the street.

KHOU

Someone bought a Rolodex full of cards that contained names and social security numbers.

The man who purchased an old Rolodex found thousands of Houston Community College records, all with social security numbers.

"Have no idea how these got left here. But need to try to find out," said Carole Keeney Harrington, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor at HCC.

Turned out, they came from an old warehouse HCC sold about five years ago.

"Basically, I stay here for 12 hours out of a day. Make sure nobody come in," said Ray Henderson, a security guard at the warehouse.

Henderson invited us in and we found more records.

"Are there more over here?" Yeah this is some more material," he said.

This time, it was fire department records from recertification classes taken at HCC. The records included one for former HFD Chief Chris Conneally.

They have social security numbers too -- all apparently overlooked.

"How did it happen in the first place you think? They were left here by some...they were left here," said Keith Harris, HCC Record Retention Manager.

The people from the college system asked to check the rest of the rambling building. It was clear. They said 500 to 600 boxes of records were cleared years ago.

Ray Henderson admits sometimes people do steal from the building.

"You know, as far as taking records, I have no knowledge, you know what I'm saying," said Henderson. "As far as the scrap metal in there, yeah."

HCC told us they would notify the fire department.

"See if there is something that we need to do to reasure them that the records are in good hands," said Carole Keeney Harrington.

We talked to the fire department too and found out so far, there are no reports of identity theft.

The people from Houston Community College guarantee us the records will be taken immediately from this old warehouse to a shredder and destroyed.

They have, they say, a process for destroying old records. This time they will make sure it is followed.