HTTF - MOU - FY - 2022 - 2023

POLICE OFFICER 000 POLICE ATTO DSFMEA LICE STRICT LICE SANTA VENTURA COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE Southern California Hi-Tech Task Force, Ventura County OFFICE 262 POLI OFFICER POLICE OFFICER LA POLIC OBI OFFICER HUENEME POLICE OXNARD POLICE July 2022 1234 In order to proactively address the proliferation of high technology crimes in Ventura County and the need for a consistent and integrated response by law enforcement, the Ventura County Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee hereby agrees to and adopts the Southern California High-Tech Task Force Memorandum of Understanding FY 2022-2023 incorporated herein and recommends funding as authorized by the Agreement. "W SHERIFF WILLIAM AYUB Ventura County Sheriff El CHIEF TRAVIS WALKER Santa Paula Police Department .M. ful CHIEF DAVID LIVINGSTONE Simi Valley Police Department EJ... ERIK NASARENKO Ventura County District Attorney CHIEF ANDREW SALINAS Port Hueneme Police Department CHIEF DARIN SCHINDLER Ventura Police Department 2 CHIEF JASON BENITES Oxnard Police Department MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Southern California High-Tech Task Force - Ventura County is to address the proliferation of high-technology crimes in Ventura County. This encompasses crimes where high technology is used as an instrument in committing a crime, assisting in the commission of a crime, or constitutes evidence of a criminal act. In addition, the Task Force is responsible for the forensic examination of all types of digital evidence, including not only computers, but also such technology as cell phones, digital video recorders, and other existing and developing computer based equipment. This task force approach is the most effective manner to respond to computer-based crimes, as well as to develop evidence regarding more traditional crimes such as homicides. STRATEGY The strategy for accomplishing this mission will be for the Sheriff and District Attorney to train an adequate number of investigators and office system coordinators to provide assistance to law enforcement agencies during the investigation of technology crimes. The technology investigators and office system coordinators will be trained as Computer Forensic Examiners. These examiners will augment local law enforcement when requested to assist in local investigations. HIGH-TECH TASK FORCE DESCRIPTION The birth of electronic computer technology started in the mid-1950s. Our society, however, did not see home computers until the late 1970s. In the early 1990s, the internet boom became a major component for commerce and a very fast source to communicate. Today, approximately 95% of all documents are created on a computer. Daily electronic e- mail traffic far outweighs traditional postal mail and telephone usage combined. Computer technology affects every facet of modern life. The field of computer forensics entails the identification, preservation, extraction, interpretation, and presentation of computer-related evidence. Far more information is retained by a computer than most people realize. Without using the right tools and techniques to preserve, examine and extract data, you run 1 the risk of losing something important, rendering what you find inadmissible, or even causing spoliation of evidence. Law enforcement has taken its time to adapt and utilize this very valuable and necessary technology. We have all witnessed computers being installed in dispatch centers, patrol cars, and desktops. However, our response to the computer savvy criminal elements has been a very slow process. Computer crime has grown from the theft of the technology itself to the storage of evidence on individual hard drives. Numerous peripheral devices have been introduced such as digital cameras, cell phones and personal tablet computers, such as iPads, that all need our attention when solving crime. Law enforcement initially ignored computers and the evidence that is contained inside them. Captain Hoganson from the Sacramento Valley High-Tech Task Force stated that some law enforcement agencies have overlooked these types of crimes, but this philosophy is no longer an option. She stated "Over the years, we have witnessed a number of agencies turn their backs on such transgressions due to the lack of training and equipment. Eventually, they all have to face the fact that computer crimes do occur, and it is up to their cops to track down the violators and prosecute them to the fullest extent possible." In the mid-1990s, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office (VCDAO) had only one investigator assigned to handle the analysis of digital evidence. It was not long before it became apparent that one investigator could not even begin to handle the volume of computer cases, especially those requiring the forensic examination of digital evidence. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office (VCSO) and the VCDAO recognized the need to find a funding source to assist with the creation of a Computer Crimes Unit. In the late 1990s, the State of California created the Statewide High-Technology Crime Apprehension and Prosecution Program. When this grant was first introduced, five task forces were awarded the funding to address the growing rate of high-technology crime. One of the agencies involved in this program was the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). The LASD subsequently created the Southern California High-Tech Task Force (SCHTTF), whose jurisdiction includes Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties. Funds from this grant are used to offset the costs associated with forensic laboratory office