The City of Kissimmee experienced a data breach in its third-party text message archiving system, exposing communications from city-issued phones. During a preventive review triggered by the breach, a cybersecurity officer discovered a single inappropriate picture message linked to Lt. Jesus Garcia’s device. This led to a broader internal investigation, uncovering a pattern of misconduct, including clandestine romantic relationships with subordinates, recruits, and citizens conducted using on-duty time and city resources. The probe revealed hundreds of daily text messages (some sexually explicit), closed-door meetings, and allegations of sexual harassment, resulting in Garcia’s termination after 19 years of service.The breach itself did not involve large-scale data theft or financial loss but compromised employee communications, exposing unprofessional and policy-violating behavior. The incident damaged the reputation of the Kissimmee Police Department, eroded trust in leadership, and led to operational disruptions due to Garcia’s neglect of duties as a Watch Commander. While no sensitive citizen data was leaked, the breach’s fallout included internal disciplinary actions, loss of a high-ranking officer, and public scrutiny over workplace conduct and oversight failures.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/city-of-kissimmee
"id": "cit4002140102225",
"linkid": "city-of-kissimmee",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "10/2025",
"severity": "50",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Public Administration',
'location': 'Kissimmee, Florida, USA',
'name': 'City of Kissimmee',
'type': 'Municipal Government'},
{'customers_affected': ['Department employees',
'Community service officers',
'Recruits',
'Citizens involved in '
'relationships'],
'industry': 'Public Safety',
'location': 'Kissimmee, Florida, USA',
'name': 'Kissimmee Police Department',
'type': 'Law Enforcement Agency'}],
'data_breach': {'file_types_exposed': ['SMS/MMS messages', 'Image files'],
'personally_identifiable_information': ['Names of '
'officers/subordinates',
'Phone numbers',
'Potential personal '
'details from '
'messages'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (personal relationships, '
'potential harassment evidence, '
'departmental communications)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Text messages (including '
'romantic/sexually explicit '
'content)',
'Picture messages',
'Metadata (timestamps, '
'participant identities)']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2023-10-03',
'date_resolved': '2023-10-03',
'description': 'A data breach involving the archiving system for city-issued '
'cell phones led to the discovery of inappropriate '
'communications by Lt. Jesus Garcia, a 19-year veteran of the '
'Kissimmee Police Department. The subsequent internal affairs '
'investigation uncovered a pattern of misconduct, including '
'clandestine relationships with subordinates, recruits, and '
'citizens, as well as misuse of on-duty time and city '
'resources. Garcia was ultimately fired on October 3, 2023, '
'following findings of sexual harassment, neglect of duty, and '
'improper use of department-issued devices.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'High (publicized firing of '
'high-ranking officer, allegations of '
'sexual harassment and misconduct)',
'data_compromised': ['Text messages (including '
'inappropriate/potentially explicit content)',
'Metadata from city-issued phones'],
'legal_liabilities': ['Potential sexual harassment claims',
'Violation of department standards of '
'conduct'],
'operational_impact': ['Distraction of senior officer (Watch '
'Commander) from duties',
'Staffing shortages due to misallocated '
'time',
'Loss of two employees (resignations linked '
"to Garcia's behavior)",
'Damage to department reputation'],
'systems_affected': ['City cell phone archiving system']},
'investigation_status': 'Closed (internal investigation completed; '
'disciplinary action taken)',
'lessons_learned': ['Misuse of department-issued devices can escalate into '
'broader misconduct investigations.',
'Closed-door meetings and excessive texting during shifts '
'can indicate policy violations.',
'Supervisory relationships require strict boundaries to '
'prevent harassment or favoritism.',
'Archived communications systems can serve as critical '
'evidence in internal investigations.'],
'motivation': 'Personal misconduct (romantic/sexual relationships, misuse of '
'resources)',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Termination of Lt. Jesus '
'Garcia.',
'Potential policy revisions '
'for device usage and '
'workplace relationships.',
'Enhanced training on '
'ethical conduct and '
'harassment prevention.'],
'root_causes': ['Lack of oversight for '
'department-issued device usage.',
'Inadequate enforcement of '
'policies on '
'supervisor-subordinate '
'relationships.',
'Cultural issues enabling misuse '
'of on-duty time for personal '
'activities.',
'Failure to detect patterns of '
'misconduct despite long-term '
'behavioral red flags.']},
'recommendations': ['Implement stricter monitoring of department-issued '
'device usage, including content filters for explicit '
'material.',
'Mandate training on workplace relationships, harassment, '
'and proper use of city resources.',
'Establish clearer policies on supervisor-subordinate '
'interactions, including documentation requirements for '
'closed-door meetings.',
'Conduct periodic audits of communication logs for '
'high-ranking officers to detect anomalies.',
'Review staffing protocols to ensure critical roles '
'(e.g., Watch Commander) are not compromised by personal '
'distractions.'],
'references': [{'source': 'Spectrum News'},
{'source': 'Kissimmee Police Department Internal Affairs '
'Report'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': ['Internal termination',
'Potential civil liability for '
'harassment'],
'regulations_violated': ['Kissimmee Police '
'Department General Orders '
'(Performance/Standards of '
'Conduct)',
'Potential violations of '
'workplace harassment '
'policies']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Public confirmation of firing',
'Media statements (e.g., Spectrum '
'News coverage)'],
'containment_measures': ['Termination of Lt. Jesus Garcia',
'Internal investigation report'],
'enhanced_monitoring': ['Increased scrutiny of department-issued '
'device usage'],
'incident_response_plan_activated': True,
'remediation_measures': ['Review of department-issued device '
'policies',
'Potential disciplinary actions for '
'other involved parties'],
'third_party_assistance': ['Cybersecurity officer (preventive '
'review)',
'Internal Affairs Division']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['Kissimmee City Council',
'Florida law enforcement oversight bodies'],
'threat_actor': 'Internal (Lt. Jesus Garcia)',
'title': 'Kissimmee Police Department Data Breach and Misconduct '
'Investigation',
'type': 'Data Breach / Internal Misconduct'}