High Tech Crimes Units provide education and experience

The state’s efforts to combat high tech crimes brought Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council members, law enforcement and public officials together at Indiana State University earlier this month, as they heard about the recent successes of the state’s High Tech Crimes Units.

Created through a legislative bill introduced in 2021, the units assisted on more than 4,500 cases with approximately 7,500 devices analyzed statewide in their first two years.

“Personal technology expands into nearly every part of our daily lives to provide convenience, entertainment and communication. That same technology often contains critical evidence for criminal investigators to determine whether and how crimes were committed and by whom, making our streets safer and bringing justice for victims,” Andre Miksha, IPAC’s deputy director of administration and civil law, said.

Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon, authored House Enrolled Act 1082 in 2021 that created the High Tech Crimes Units.

The bill gave IPAC the task of administering funds to provide assistance to prosecutors.

This assistance includes training, technical support and enhancing the ability to investigate, collect evidence and prosecute high-tech crimes.

Steuerwald said that sometimes when people or a group come to legislators with an idea, they’re never quite sure how it’ll turn out seeing it only on paper.

“It’s turned out even greater than I thought possible,” Steuerwald said.

The 10 units are separated out into different regions of the state.

The units are based in Lake, St. Joseph, Allen, Tippecanoe, Madison, Delaware, Vigo, Monroe, Dearborn/Ohio and Knox counties.

“Digital evidence is often expensive, time-consuming and requires specialized training to obtain and review,” Miksha said. “Our communities have benefited from having yet another tool against criminals and for public safety.”

The Sycamores

Chris Naylor, IPAC’s executive director, said much of the units’ success has been derived from strong partnerships between prosecutors and certain Indiana colleges and universities.

Naylor said talented college students have served as primary investigators for many of the units, including a team of students at Indiana State University.

“We are thankful for the Indiana General Assembly in funding the start of these units after legislators learned the important role these students play in the investigations in ways that are beneficial for the students, the universities and for the general public safety of Indiana,” Naylor said.

ISU juniors Mel Stock and Madeline Ardizzone said part of the work they get to do is digital forensics on cell phones seized by detectives and law enforcement.

Stock, an intelligence analysis and cyber criminology double major, said her father has a toxicology background and knew it was something she wanted to do as well.

“I’ve been around him going to the courthouse and testifying and him analyzing evidence and stuff for a long time in my life. I just knew that was something that I always wanted to do,” Stock said.

Ardizzone, a cyber criminology and criminal justice double major, said she grew up in a military household with her father being in the Marines for 13 years.

“I just grew up with that influence on my life, and I was always interested in it,” Ardizzone said.

The pair said they’ve enjoyed the experience of being investigators on the High Tech Crimes Unit.

Jason James leads the High Tech Crimes Unit at ISU, which has grown since it first started in 2022.

The university not only has the High Tech Crimes Unit, but also a Jail Intelligence Unit, Cold Case Homicide Unit and Human Trafficking & Intelligence Unit.

“We when first started the program, we used to have to rely on other high-tech crime units or Indiana State Police, but now we can do everything here locally,” James said.

The unit has several secure rooms on campus where they do their work.

James said they are able to get a phone back to detectives in a day but it can sometimes take months due to backlogs.

ISU Professor Travis Behem leads the Jail Intelligence Unit, where students listen to the phone calls.

“It’s been really great and viable for the agencies, but also a great experience for our students,” Behem said.

ISU Professor Chris Gallagher leads the Cold Case Homicide Unit, in which students get to work on one case per semester.

“At the end of the semester, they give a PowerPoint presentation to the prosecutor. And so far, after two cases, they haven’t filed anything yet, but I think they’re close on one,” Gallagher said.

OUR Rescue funded a grant for the Human Trafficking & Intelligence Unit, which also provided the electronic storage device K-9 Stark.

“This isn’t just academic. It is real world work that these students are doing,” James said.

The students are sworn in as investigators and sign non-disclosure agreements.

They can receive college credit along with the paid internship.

Incoming Vermillion Circuit Court Judge Chris Wrede said technology has changed exponentially since he was in college.

“I wish we had something like this when I was down here,” Wrede said

He recalled having to listen to hours of jail calls as a prosecutor in hopes of finding out some sort of information that could help with a case.

Now, students listen to jail calls and in some cases have found missing children by doing so.

Looking to the future

With a budget session coming up in the 2025 legislative session, program supporters are looking for additional funding and want to bring the units’ total appropriation to $4.5 million.

IPAC officials wants to increase the units’ budget and remain competitive for personnel costs.

The majority of the units’ expenses go towards specialized forensic tools, with 30% spent on personnel costs.•