Manatee Clerk hosts free community shredding event on April 18

PALMETTO — The Manatee Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller will host its spring Clerk's Community Shred Day on Saturday, April 18, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1402 14^th Ave W, Palmetto, FL 34221.

This free drive-thru event allows people to safely dispose of personal documents containing sensitive information and destroy hard drives removed from computers or laptops — helping protect against identity theft and fraud.

What to Bring:

Documents can be brought in any container.

Accepted items include:

• Personal documents with sensitive information (any color or paper type)
• Old tax returns, W-2s, and 1099 forms
• Bank statements, cancelled checks, and credit card statements
• Pay stubs and employment records
• Social Security cards, birth and death certificates
• Medical records, insurance policies, and explanation of benefits (EOBs)
• Pre-approved credit offers
• Plastic credit cards and expired IDs
• Hard drives (must be removed from devices)

Items NOT Accepted:

• Binders
• Junk mail, magazines, or newspapers
• Wet or damp paper
• Business or commercial documents
• Electronics (laptops, computers, monitors, etc.)

"Our fall Community Shred Day showed that there's a great need in our community for this type of event," said Angel Colonneso, Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller for Manatee County. "This spring, we're ready with even more capacity so more people can safely dispose of their personal documents and protect their information."

On-site shredding will be provided by Shred-Medic, a NAID AAA-certified secure document destruction company, ensuring that all materials are destroyed safely and securely.

The Clerk & Comptroller's office provides Community Shred Days twice annually — once in spring and once in fall — as a free service to help Manatee County residents safeguard their identities