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Hidden Messages: Computers and Other Technology Have Much to Say About a Case, If Investigators Take the Time to Look

NCJ Number
214536
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2006 Pages: 8-10,12,16
Author(s)
Pamela Mills-Senn
Date Published
April 2006
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article describes how law enforcement computer crime units can help solve crimes, even crimes not specifically linked to computers.
Abstract
The prevalence and popularity of computers, cell phones, and other technological advancements have helped advance police investigative techniques. Computer crime units in law enforcement agencies have grown immensely over the past 7 or 8 years and are now struggling to keep up with an ever growing workload. While child pornography investigations dominate computer crime units in law enforcement and in the private sector, computer experts note that they have worked with police on all types of crimes, from homicides to fraud cases. Crimes not specifically linked to the computer, for example, an interpersonal crime of violence, can be solved by combing through cell phone records, cell phone photographs, and personal computers for clues about the victim’s life and acquaintances. Experts also note that as computers and other technologies develop more memory power and become more prevalent in society, the time it takes to fully investigate a crime becomes longer as more data must be reviewed. In terms of child pornography, for example, investigators must view all evidence in a suspect’s possession in order to identify and rescue victims and to identify all perpetrators involved. Software packages that will help with this type of identification are being developed to help speed things up and to ease the psychological and emotional burden of investigators who must view these disturbing images in order to make arrests. Many types of software tools that have been developed or are in development to aid in law enforcement investigations are described, such as the Child Exploitation Tracking System, which helped Canadian authorities to make 3,000 investigative links since April 2005. Exhibits