One of the things that many law enforcement departments are finding today is that they have a growing need for professionals who have experience with computer forensics. Different departments around the country are taking different approaches to this problem. This is something that we are seeing repeated in many departments across the country, and there is not going to be any slowing for the need for technical experts who can retrieve evidence and information from many different types of data. Computer forensics jobs are here to stay.
Police departments who never had to deal with the complexity of digital crimes now have to be able to solve those cases just as well as they do other types of crimes. This means that they have to make some changes to the ways that they are doing things, and they really do need to consider the benefits of hiring help who has training in this field.
The Lima Police Department’s Plan for Digital Forensics
In Lima, Ohio, the police department is implementing a plan that they believe will help them meet the challenge that the growing number of digital crimes is presenting. The police department is currently moving around several officers so that they can have a single full time detective on board who will be able to deal with all of the computer forensics issues that come their way. They are going to be placing someone in the position that already has the training needed, or at least the majority of the training.
One of the things that they have to remember is that the Computer Forensics Training is not really a one and done thing with computer forensics. They have to consider that technology changes quickly, which means that this officer is going to need to keep up with the various devices and tools in use for forensics in order to be successful.
Other Options for Departments
Other departments around the country are taking different approaches when it comes to dealing with computer forensics. While many are sending their detectives and officers to get the training they need, others are hiring outside professionals to come into the department. They will work in the forensics department and will not necessarily be an actual police officer or detective. They are hiring these specialists so that they are able to spend all of their time focused on forensics rather than dividing their time between police work. Other departments are utilizing third party specialists who they only use on an as needed basis.
- Trained detectives
- Hiring specialists for the forensics department
- Third party specialists working for other companies
Of course, the location, the department budget, and other things are going to account for just how the departments deal with the rising need of computer forensics specialists.
What Challenges are Computer Forensics Departments Facing?
Today, the digital challenges come at departments with a speed and ferocity never before seen. Everyone has mobile devices today, and they have computers at home. The possibility of finding digital evidence is greater than ever, and that means that the forensic specialists are going to be busier than ever before. It truly is essential today for a department to have a dedicated department that will be able to handle the massive influx of these types of crimes and requests.
Many type of computer crime exist today, and it falls under the purview of the forensic specialists to deal with all of them. They might be working on identity theft cases, child endangerment cases, animal abuse, murder, and more.
Because of the high demand for specialists in the field, it’s a good area for those who are interested in a career working with law enforcement. It could be a good time to talk with a computer forensics recruiter about the training you need.
Anita Schepers provides advice and information on computer forensics recruiter programs at Computer-Forensics-Recruiter.com.
