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[Posted on Thur, Jan 19 2006]
Lab to turn technology against crimeBy Karen Abbott
Source: Rocky Mountain News
RockyMountainNews.com
January 19, 2006
CENTENNIAL - The folks at the new regional computer forensics lab here say they're going to take a byte out of crime.
They led journalists on a tour of the facility on Wednesday, showing off the high-tech gear they say will help crack more child pornography and enticement crimes, identity thefts, eBay cheats and even murders and terrorist plots.
"Crime fighting has entered a new era," said Dave Fisher of the Denver Police Department, one of six local law enforcement agencies sharing the new lab with the FBI. "We're expecting this to have a huge impact on so many different cases. The criminals better watch out because we have some talented people who are going to be on their tails."
FBI Assistant Director Kerry Haynes of the agency's operational technology division said that common high-tech devices such as computers, laptops, cell phones and even iPods now can become crime scenes.
"Every criminal with any sophistication . . . has at least one computer," Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates said.
Other agencies sharing the new lab are the Denver and 18th Judicial District district attorneys' offices and the Arapahoe County and Douglas County sheriff's offices.
More partners are being encouraged to join by assigning an officer to the lab, but any law enforcement agency in Colorado or Wyoming can use the new lab's services. The facility cost about $2 million to create and will cost about $1 million a year to operate, said lab director Christopher Buechner.
Except for the salaries of officers assigned by local agencies, all the costs of the lab are paid by the federal government.
The lab has nearly 17,000 square feet of space filled with equipment that can sniff out what's stored in computers, telephones and other devices - often even if the owners of the devices believe they have erased everything.
The lab already has accepted 65 cases, mostly involving child pornography.
[Original Article on the Rocky Mountain News web site ]