JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office had major computer system issues on Sunday that were having an effect on its dispatch and jail booking processes, two sources with knowledge of the situation told News4JAX.
The Tributary, which was the first media outlet to report the issues, said “internet outages” on Sunday were affecting police officers’ ability to file arrest reports.
According to the city’s Chief Administrative Officer Brian Hughes, it started Friday when the city “detected suspicious activity from an outside server thanks to cyber security detection software implemented within the last year.”
“When City staff was alerted to a possible issue, they were able to quickly disable the account and implement precautionary measures,” he added. “The situation is contained, and all systems are functioning properly.”
Hughes said that neither the City of Jacksonville nor the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is the subject of a ransomware attack.
In an abundance of caution, the city and JSO have taken precautionary measures to limit access while cyber security teams finish a deep dive throughout the system, he added. That precaution has led to changes that have slowed the processes previously in place for dispatch systems and filing arrest reports, sources said.
The issues will not impact if residents need to call 911 and report a crime.
“They can still take calls. The 9-1-1 system is just down. They just have to process them different,” cyber security expert Chris Hamer told News4JAX. “Every dispatch center has a plan when all heck breaks loose.”
