The problem was detected on Jan. 11, according to Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile. The computer system was shut down the same day to contain the problem, he said.
Parts of the system weren’t working while others were shut down to keep the problem from spreading, according to Cecile. Police and city information technology staff along with vendors and consultants are investigating the incident, he said.
Body camera docking stations, the department’s email system, police cruiser incident report filing and supervisor approval of those reports were affected, Cecile said. Those systems have since been restored, he said.
However, the department is still working to restore its servers where data is kept, Cecile said. The server is secure, he said.
The department has not been able to update their Comparative Statistic reports — crime statistics — since the end of 2024. Cecile said IT is working to bring the servers back up.
“The data is still there, but they were concerned about going in and getting it,” Cecile said.
The department did not confirm if the issue was a ransomware attack or if a crime was committed. Cecile said the department is still investigating to determine what caused the problems.
Cecile said he was updated this week and told by IT that the first week of February is when the system will be back up and running.
“We just can’t allow this to affect or interrupt our services to the community,” Cecile said.
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