SPRINGFIELD -- Your precious personal information could be out in the open for thieves to use to steal your identity, even if you do everything you can to protect it. KY3 News discovered the unguarded information in places frequented by many people.

This weeks-long investigation involved no computers, hidden cameras or other technology. With just two hands, we found reams of information that identity thieves would love to have. But what's surprising is not just what we found but where we found it -- and who put it there.

“I’m at a loss for words, I really am,” said Tracie Tice.

Tice rarely finds herself speechless but, on a recent day, she just couldn't believe that we found her.

“Just shock, absolute shock,” said Tice.

We tracked her down using information that we dug out of a recycling bin -- and she's just one of many whose information was available. We found a copy of the driver’s license of Boys and Girls Club executive director Pat Gartland.

“This shouldn't be there either,” said Gartland.

We also found a copy of an employee eligibility form. On it is a Social Security number of one of his employees.

“All of our people have shredders but, on occasion, that slipped through,” said Gartland.

All this vital information was in plain view at the City of Springfield's recycling centers. At three of the four that we went to, a city employee was actually on site while we removed handfuls of documents.

In just a few minutes, we were able to take hundreds of documents that thieves could easily use to steal an identity. They include bank statements, credit card offers, loan applications, driver’s licenses and social security numbers for a dozen different people.

In some cases, people recycled information that you wouldn't immediately think is a threat, like a cruise itinerary and a hold-mail form. But those would indicate when someone wouldn’t be home and when it would be easier to rob a home.

And we found shredding doesn't always work. We found two pieces of a shredded bank statement that you can easily put together to see an account number, a routing number and a check number.

Perhaps even scarier was finding Tice’s address, employer, income, credit history and Social Security – and she didn't dump any of the documents.

“Every time I think about it, I get upset, furious,” said Tice.

Tice's documents, and most of the other driver’s licenses and Social Security numbers that we found, were tossed out not by the owners of that information but by businesses who are supposed to secure it.

“I can't imagine what someone was thinking, whether they were careless or lazy,” said Tice.

We found her information, and that of several others, on an application for a U.S. Department of Agriculture home loan -- a federal agency.

“We're mandated to destroy documents, shred them, make them unreadable. I would certainly think that the federal government would have the same, if not more, strict policy,” said Tice.

“We do regret the unfortunate situation that has occurred here,” said USDA Rural Development Area Director Tim Rickabaugh.

Rickabaugh says he had no idea that personal documents weren't being shredded until we told him what we found. He said he thought his recycling contractor was shredding personal documents before recycling them.

“If we would have known then what we know now, we would have been more careful, and are now shredding everything, as was our policy before, but this slipped through the cracks and we apologize for that,” said Rickabaugh.

He says all personal documents will now be shredded before leaving the office. Tice says she's glad for the new policy and is thankful that we found her information, instead of a thief.

“I don't know what to do. I do feel helpless, absolutely helpless,” she said.

Destroying that information does not simply mean cutting it up with a scissors. The best way to protect yourself is to shred it.

To help, we are sponsoring the first ever KY3 Shred-it Day. Monday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., you can bring your documents to Battlefield Mall, where a professional shredder will shred it for free. The shredder will be under the marquee at the corner of Glenstone Avenue at Battlefield Road.

Recycling is a valuable service that the City of Springfield provides, and this report shouldn’t deter you from using these bins. However, city staff members agree that you need to protect your own information. They say the employees on staff at the centers are not security guards. They're there to help, and can't be expected to know everything that's going on.