NCJ Number
203821
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 51 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2003 Pages: 52-55
Date Published
December 2003
Length
4 pages
Annotation
After emphasizing the importance of the work of high-technology police units, this article suggests ways for officers to obtain training for such a unit, as well as cost-saving mechanisms for mounting specialized high-tech investigations.
Abstract
Every crime scene potentially contains digital evidence. The first officers on the scene should consider all computers at the scene as having potential evidentiary value, not just the equipment belonging to the primary suspect. Even digital media (diskettes) that look damaged may have valuable information that can be retrieved by a forensic examiner. Recognizing the potential evidence and knowing how to collect, preserve, and analyze that evidence requires training. Forensic examination of a computer is complex and requires extensive initial training as well as ongoing training updates on the latest developments in the computer field. The National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) is a nonprofit organization funded by Congress to provide a nationwide support system for agencies involved in the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of high-tech crimes. NW3C provides multiple levels of computer forensic and computer investigation training at no cost to law enforcement agencies. Companies that sell computer forensic software also offer training. In addition, this article suggests some books that provide instruction in forensic examinations of computer data. A fully functional high-technology crime unit may be beyond the budgets of most local law enforcement agencies. In such cases, agencies may be able to afford low-level training of in-house personnel supplemented by outside resources for complex investigations. A regional computer forensics unit is a practical way of pooling the resources of agencies in a region to ensure that high-tech investigative expertise is available for agencies with limited budgets.