COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Police agencies fighting cybercrime in Branch County are in line for a major improvement in their battle against computer hackers and identity thieves. Beginning next year, the State Police Post in Coldwater will be the location for an MSP Cybercrime Unit serving southwest Michigan.
State Police Sergeant Todd Price says the project of installing the infrastructure for the CCU operation in Coldwater has been underway for a number of months with the servers and secured lines having been installed with work cubicles and a property room being readied. Three people will be assigned to begin the program and are undergoing training with a total of six personnel eventually to join the unit.
According to Price, having the cybercrime investigators in Coldwater will be a great time saver in solving cases. Currently, when a computer tower or laptop is sent to headquarters to be checked out for possible child pornography, for example, and with a limited number of people in the Lansing office to analyze the equipment , it can take up to six months to a year before it’s returned.
The CCU program, according to Price, has shown the turnaround time can be reduced to an average of a week or two in probing web sites, credit card fraud point of sale and e-mail tracing.
