NCJ Number
144265
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 41 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1993) Pages: 99-102
Date Published
1993
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Police departments must be prepared to deal with a complex array of computer-related crimes and would be wise to begin training computer forensic specialists, as the range of crimes and investigations is rapidly expanding.
Abstract
Computer crimes may be committed by disgruntled employees or those who find an opportunity to embezzle a company's assets. In many cases, the criminal uses the computer as a management tool to assist in the commission of other types of offenses, including arson schemes, child pornography, kidnapping and sexual molestation, drug trafficking, and prostitution. Because untrained officers could inadvertently destroy computer-based evidence, police training should emphasize that no one touches a computer until the expert arrives. Computer forensic processing often requires specialized equipment and software as well as extreme caution in removing equipment from the crime scene and transporting it to a laboratory. There are several training courses available to the officer assigned to computer investigations, offered by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, National Institute of Justice, and State agencies, among others.