The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now investigating the Dallas Police Departments’ massive data loss.
Officials revealed that some files, around 22 terabytes of data, were deleted from the Dallas Police Department’s record when a worker was moving files earlier this year. The revelation was made in August, and the city has since fired the worker.
Officials said that some of the missing data could not be recovered and are now affecting ongoing criminal cases. A City Council committee investigating the data loss met on Friday, where police told them that an investigation into the employee could not determine if the worker had criminal intentions or not.
However, the Dallas Police Department has turned to the FBI for help following the discovery of new information about the loss of additional data.
“This past Tuesday [Sept. 7, 2021], we met with the FBI and asked for their assistance,” said Dallas Exec. Asst. Police Chief Albert Martinez last week. “And from that Tuesday meeting in their agreement, they are opening what they call an assessment.”
An FBI spokesperson also confirmed that the FBI is providing technical assistance to the Dallas Police Department.
The city attorney’s office is also reportedly searching for an outside firm that will conduct a thorough investigation into the data loss.
