Hackers steal and leak sensitive LAPD documents

Cybercriminals allegedly stole a large amount of sensitive internal documents from the Los Angeles Police Department and leaked the data online.

The stolen data included police officers’ personnel files, internal affairs investigations, and discovery documents that could include unredacted criminal complaints and personal information, such as witness names and medical data, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Emma Best, founder of the transparency group Distributed Denial of Secrets, which hosts the data, said in an online post that the World Leaks extortion ring was behind the data breach.

Best said she was able to review some of the leaked data when it was posted – and then deleted – on the gang’s leak website, where the group publicizes its abuses in an attempt to pressure its victims to pay ransom.

It is not clear why the data is not included on the World Leaks website.

In a public statement, the LAPD said it was investigating the hack, which it said did not involve LAPD systems or networks, but rather affected a “digital storage system” belonging to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.

The LAPD said it was “working with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office to access the affected files to understand the full scope of the data breach.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, most police officer records under California law are considered private. The newspaper said that the leak, if proven true, would represent a “stunning police data breach,” as police records are rarely disclosed or published.

The hack reportedly exposed 7.7 terabytes of data and more than 337,000 files.

Ivor Payne, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, told TechCrunch that the office became aware of “unauthorized access to a third-party tool,” without naming it. “The information was self-contained in this application without any links to or access to any department records or systems,” Payne said in an email.

An LAPD spokesperson declined to comment, referring to the department’s public statement about X.

The hackers could not be reached for comment.

World Leaks began activities in January 2025 as an apparent change to a previous group known as Hunters International. Since then, the group has compromised organizations in numerous industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, technology, and others.

According to cybersecurity firm Halcyon, the hackers “demonstrated capabilities against defense contractors and Fortune 500 organizations.”

Updated to include responses from the LAPD and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.