INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council (IPAC) is announcing the host locations of the 10 High Tech Crime Units that will be established and available to assist all of Indiana’s prosecutors with the processing of digital evidence. Thanks to legislation enacted during the 2021 session, IPAC was able to fund 10 regional hubs, geographically located throughout the state to cover all 92 counties.
Dearborn County will serve as one of the 10 regional hubs. This digital hub will serve 11 Southeastern Indiana counties, including Ripley, Franklin, and Decatur.
With these programs and partnerships with local universities, prosecutor offices will work hand in hand with local law enforcement and college students to analyze and process digital evidence. The result will be a faster turnaround for investigations and more thorough investigations, leading to more just outcomes for everyone involved in the legal system. With these new high-tech crime units, every county and every prosecutor office will have access to state-of-the-art technology that they previously have not had access to.
“We are extremely excited about these new programs and the impact they will have on the criminal justice system,” Chris Naylor, IPAC Executive Director, said. “We’re incredibly thankful for the work of Representative Greg Steuerwald for championing this bill, all the lawmakers who helped on the legislation, and to our university partners who are working alongside prosecutors to make these units possible.”
This announcement is the result of a 5-month selection process. IPAC is thankful for each and every prosecutor who applied.
“With these regional hubs, prosecutors will be able to collect more digital forensic evidence in order to serve justice,” said State Representative Greg Steuerwald (R-Avon). “This is an innovative solution for investigating crimes throughout the state, especially as technology continues to advance and can hold the key to putting dangerous criminals behind bars. Public safety is a priority, and Hoosier prosecutors and law enforcement officers are ready to team up with the state’s colleges and universities in our fight against crime.”
In the coming months, the hubs will begin purchasing the necessary software and hardware and hiring staff for the high-tech units with the goal of the units being fully operational in early 2022.
(Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council press release)
