Digital Forensics in Law Enforcement: A Needs Based Analysis of Indiana Agencies

Cyber crime is a growing problem, with the impact to society increasing exponentially, but the ability of local law enforcement agencies to investigate and successfully prosecute criminals for these crimes is unclear. Many national needs assessments have previously been conducted, and all indicated that state and local law enforcement did not have the training, tools, or staff to effectively conduct digital investigations, but very few have been completed recently. This study provided a current and localized assessment of the ability of Indiana law enforcement agencies to effectively investigate crimes involving digital evidence, the availability of training for both law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys, and the ability of prosecuting attorneys to pursue and obtain convictions in cases involving digital evidence. The results support the recommendation that a comprehensive resource guide is needed, as standard operating procedures are lacking, and law enforcement is unaware of available training courses and resources