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For Immediate Release: October 16, 2006

Contacts: Kimberly Allen, Office of Rep. Rothman, (202) 226-8364
Gretchen Johnson, Fairleigh Dickinson University, (201) 692-7032

Rep. Rothman Announces New Cyber Crime Lab at Fairleigh Dickinson

Rothman secures $600,000 in federal funds for the new facility, which will train law enforcement officers to fight crime in the digital age.

Pictured: Congressman Steve Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) applauds Fairleigh Dickinson University on the grand opening of their new Cyber Crime Lab for law enforcement officers.

(Hackensack, NJ)— Today, Congressman Steve Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) and Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) President J. Michael Adams announced the opening of a new Cyber Crime Lab to train law enforcement officers to solve crimes involving computer fraud and digital evidence. The new state-of-the-art facility was made possible by $600,000 in federal support obtained by Rothman.

"New technologies for tracking criminals and retrieving information from their cell phones and laptops make it possible for detectives to solve more crimes more quickly. But they need the right kind of know-how to be successful and I am pleased to announce this federal grant that will provide the specialized training that is needed," said Rothman. "In addition to learning how to use new technology, our officers will also learn more about tracking down and stopping online predators—such as pedophiles and identity thieves."

The Cyber Crime Lab will house over 40 computer stations in two large classrooms. More than 400 law enforcement officers will use the lab for graduate certificate courses in computer security and forensic administration. In addition, more than 300 officers will take continuing education courses in cyber crime. The officers are drawn from the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Association, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and county and local law enforcement agencies. Courses planned for the new facility include:

• Investigation of Computer Systems/Network
• Computer Systems Seizure and Examination
• Current Issues on Terrorism and Security
• Global Preparedness for Catastrophic Emergencies
• Computer Forensic Training on Handheld Computing Devices
• Introduction to Cell Phone Seizure and Examination

Adams said, "As we have come to rely on the promise of the Internet to bring us information and facilitate communication, we are beginning to understand the unique dangers and perils of cyber space. At FDU, we made what I believe is a courageous decision to leap ahead and make the investments to begin focusing on this problem. I thank everyone who helped make this possible, especially Congressman Steve Rothman, who had the foresight and devotion to help secure and direct federal funding to make this vision a reality."

According to FDU, the United States will need as many as 1.3 million professionals trained to analyze digital evidence over the next five years. In 2004, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 635,000 complaints of consumer fraud and identity theft with losses of more than $547 million.

"One of the federal government's top priorities is to provide law enforcement personnel with everything they need to fight crime," added Rothman. "I am proud to support this new training facility for our officers because it acknowledges and addresses the changing environment in which detectives work and answers their call for more training on new technology."

Rothman is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which makes decisions about all U.S. government spending. Through his efforts, FDU received federal funding over two years to build the Cyber Crime Lab. The funds were allocated through the 2005 and 2006 Science, State, Justice, and Commerce (SSJC) spending bills. Thanks to Rothman's efforts, this $600,000 will not come out of local property taxpayers' pockets.

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