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LAPD website goes offline; officials give no cause but say it’s ‘not ransomware’

Los Angeles Police Department headquarters
The Los Angeles Police Department’s website was down Friday.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
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The website for the Los Angeles Police Department was down for hours Friday, without explanation.

Capt. Kelly Muniz, the LAPD’s chief spokesperson, said public safety was “not affected” but could not provide a reason for why the site wasn’t functioning normally.

“I can tell you that it is not ransomware,” Muniz said.

A visit to the website produced a message saying, “Our services aren’t available right now. We’re working to restore all services as soon as possible. Please check back soon.”

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Claims of credit for downing the website were made in various places online. A group called Dark Storm claimed on Telegram that its “cyber attack” was to blame. Muniz said there was “no indication” that was true.

The website has general information about bureaus, leadership, crime statistics and other documents and reports produced by the LAPD. The department has long been planning an upgrade to the site — with security one of its main concerns.

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