NCJ Number
226848
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 36 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2009 Pages: 10,12,16
Date Published
April 2009
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the increased demand for skilled and trained investigators in technological crimes and retrieval of digital evidence, and overcoming local budget and funding constraints inhibiting the development of computer forensic capabilities.
Abstract
As high-tech criminals continue to invade the world and fewer officers are trained to examine the trail of digital evidence, it is certain that criminals will gain the upper hand. It is critical that law enforcement keep pace with the high-tech criminal and become trained to study bytes or digital evidence the way old-school investigators examined fingerprints. However, strict budgetary confines prevent many local agencies from training officers to perform this work. Many agencies have relied on a task force approach to assist them with technology crime. Federal and State funding enables task force members to keep their skills sharp as technology evolves. Yet, agencies relying on task forces also face the possibility of the task force losing funding. In response, police administrators play an active role in setting up local high-tech crime capabilities, deciding where this capability falls and what types of high-tech crimes will be given priority. Agencies today must think regionally and consider collaborations and partnerships, as well as pooling their resources to address computer forensics. Partnerships will help in the investigation of high-tech crimes across multiple jurisdictions or international venues.