NMU Officer Participates in Forensic Computer Training

The number of law enforcement personnel trained in forensic computer investigation has not kept pace with the rapid rise in cybercrimes – from pornography and hacking to new-fashioned fraud and identity theft. In fact, only one officer in the Upper Peninsula is qualified to process such cases. But that is about to change, thanks to a pair of grants secured by NMU Public Safety and Police Services: $51,000 from the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES); and $60,000 from the U.P. Regional Homeland Security Board.

Ken Love (Public Safety and Police Services) is one of 15 officers from 13 U.P. departments participating in a six-week training program in Escanaba.

“There’s up to a 16-month backlog when you send a computer to State Police headquarters in Lansing because of the growing number of crimes and the labor-intensive work required to investigate them,” said Mike Bath (Public Safety and Police Services), who oversees the grant. “It will be nice to ease that burden somewhat by having 15 people representing areas throughout the U.P. who are able to help each other out with these cases.”

Northern contracted with the Center for Homeland Security through Eastern Michigan University to offer the cybercrime training program. Each participant will leave with a $4,000 forensic computer to use on the job. With a cohort now in place, Bath said the goal is to secure an additional grant in 2008 to provide a brief update on emerging trends and strategies for the same group of individuals.