Hackers access sensitive LAPD records stored in Los Angeles City Attorney system

Hackers gained access to a digital storage system used by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, exposing sensitive Los Angeles Police Department documents tied to previously resolved civil litigation cases, officials said Tuesday.

The breach involved materials that had been shared during the legal discovery process, including records from settled or closed cases involving the Los Angeles Police Department, the city’s primary law enforcement agency. Authorities confirmed that LAPD’s internal systems and networks were not compromised.

City officials identified the point of intrusion as a third-party tool used by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, the municipal agency responsible for legal representation and prosecution on behalf of the city, to transfer discovery materials to opposing counsel and litigants. The office became aware of the incident on March 20.

The compromised system operated independently and did not provide access to other city applications or databases. Officials said the data contained within the tool was self-contained and not connected to broader municipal or departmental systems.

An ongoing investigation is being conducted in coordination with law enforcement agencies and external forensic specialists. The City Attorney’s Office is also working with the city’s Information Technology Agency, which oversees municipal IT infrastructure, to assess the scope and sensitivity of the exposed data.

Authorities are reviewing the contents of the affected files to determine what information was accessed and to identify individuals or entities that may need to be notified. Under California law, many police records are considered confidential, heightening concerns about potential exposure of protected information.

Preliminary findings indicate that the breached dataset may be substantial, with reports indicating approximately 7.7 terabytes of data and more than 337,000 files accessed. The materials are believed to include witness names, medical records, unredacted criminal complaints and investigative files.