Oakland ransomware attack hits non-emergency police operations

OAKLAND, Calif. – The ransomware attack on the City of Oakland will move into its second week Wednesday with no solution in sight.

The Oakland Police Department headquarters was especially hard hit on Tuesday as the hack brought some operations to a near halt.

People lined up in the lobby area of the headquarters to file reports and the clerks were forced to do everything by hand.

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Clerks typically file reports electronically, but their computers were not working because of the attack. 

Any payment made on Tuesday had to be done in cash, clerks couldn’t process credit cards or checks.

Those who waited in line police department headquarters declined to be interviewed.

But over Zoom, Shannotta Norwood told KTVU it took her two visits, over course of two days to file a simple report for a stolen car. 

“I do understand it’s a non-emergency report. However, I felt that there was absolutely no urgency from the dispatcher on the non-emergency number down to the officer at the station,” said Norwood.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao apologized for the delay. 

“I understand the frustration, you know when we conduct business at City Hall, that some of the resources are not there. But we want to say bear with us,” Thao said.

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The Oakland Police Department on Tuesday released a statement advising the public of the possible delays.

“For non-emergency crimes, we encourage residents to file an online police report. In the meantime, the public should expect delays,” the statement read.

An Oakland city employee told KTVU that city workers are worried about getting paid on time. 

The employee said workers have to turn their timecards in on Wednesday. They were told that the payroll system has been affected by the attack, and they do not know if they will get paid on time.