Abilene crime reports resume, system still limited

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The Abilene Police Department’s daily crime reports are back online, though for now they’re being compiled manually due to the city’s ongoing recovery from a cyberattack. Police say it could take more than a year before the automated reporting system is fully restored.

The cyberattack, which hit city servers in mid-April, forced many systems offline, including those used by APD to generate public reports. From April 18 to early September, no daily reports were posted.

APD’s Rick Tomlin explained that while reports are being updated again, there may still be delays, especially during major incidents.

“We are NOT being deceptive, or keeping information from public view!!!!! Our officers are simply busy with the public safety aspect of the event. Reports are secondary or further down the list,” Tomlin shared.

He added that because reports are pulled manually from the system each morning, incidents close to the 5:00 a.m. cutoff might not show up until the following day.

Residents can view the latest information on the KTAB/KRBC Daily Crime Report page.