Why did the Lee County Clerk's office shred 7,000 pounds of documents?

Luis Zambrano, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read
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Clerk employees help Lee County residents dispose of their confidential documents on Saturday, Nov. 4, at "The Big Shred" event.
Clerk employees help Lee County residents dispose of their confidential documents on Saturday, Nov. 4, at "The Big Shred" event.

Shredding paper never looked like so much fun.

Approximately 7,000 pounds of confidential documents were shredded this past weekend in Fort Myers. We are not sure if that's a world record, but we know this: That's a lot of confetti.

In a press release from Nov. 4, the Lee County Clerk's office announced the amount that community members had securely shredded in its "The Big Shred" event.

Here's what we know:

Clerk employees help Lee County residents dispose of their confidential documents on Saturday, Nov. 4, at "The Big Shred" event.
Clerk employees help Lee County residents dispose of their confidential documents on Saturday, Nov. 4, at "The Big Shred" event.

Why hosting this kind of event?

The Lee Clerk hosted this free event to help residents keep their personal information safe by providing a convenient way to dispose of their confidential records securely.

How does identity theft factor into this?

The press release stressed the importance of properly disposing of sensitive documents as thieves can gather personal and financial information through your trash.

"Identity theft is a common problem and occurs when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission," the release stated.

How was it done?

Participants drove up and handed their boxes of documents to a clerk employee who then walked them to the on-site shredding truck for secure shredding and disposal.

Community members brought around 500 boxes full of documents to the event.

A spokesperson for the Clerk's office said the plan is to make "The Big Shred" and annual event.

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What's the next event by the Clerk's office?

Clerk employees help Lee County residents dispose of their confidential documents on Saturday, Nov. 4, at "The Big Shred" event.
Clerk employees help Lee County residents dispose of their confidential documents on Saturday, Nov. 4, at "The Big Shred" event.

The Clerk's office is holding a "How to Participate in a Tax Deed Sale" on Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the North Fort Myers Public Library.

The informational seminar will cover the following:

  • General tax deed information

  • How to register for an account online

  • How to deposit funds into the registry

  • Steps in the tax deed sale process

  • Post-tax deed sale information

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Identity theft: Lee County clerk's office shreds 7,000 pounds of paper