BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The loose collection of internet hackers called "Anonymous" claims to have hacked Alabama state and local law enforcement computers, finding sensitive personal information about more than 46,000 Alabamians in the process.

In a statement posted today on a website dedicated to the uncensored release of information, three unidentified people said they accessed the full names, Social Security numbers, license tag numbers, dates of birth and other sensitive information. They included redacted information on 500 people to back up their claim.

The sensitive information it claims to have acquired was accessed through computers belonging to the Mobile Police Department, the group said.

In a statement released this afternoon, Alabama Department of Homeland Security Director Spencer Collier said he was aware of the claim that a state website had been hacked.

"This is an ongoing investigation by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and any further comment would be premature at this time," he said.

The group was targeting Alabama government in response to the state's controversial immigration law when it stumbled upon the data, the statement indicates. The group claims to have deleted most of the sensitive data.

"Unlike you, we are not criminals. We believe in protecting citizens' personal data," the statement said. "This data was not securely segregated from the Internet, nor was it properly encrypted."

The statement did not indicate which other servers were targeted. The group ended its statement in a fashion common for "Anonymous" posts: "We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect Us."