Left, Stevens Point Police Officer Dana Williams is slated to fill the newest role of Computer Forensics Officer within SPPD. (City-Times photo)

By Brandi Makuski

The Stevens Point Police Department will receive funding for two additional officers in 2014, which means not only will there be a slightly heightened police presence on the streets, but also a new position with specialized training in cyber crimes.

Officer Dana Williams is a 16- year veteran of the SPPD force who applied for the new position in October, once it looked like a slight increase in the department’s funding was going to come through.

“Once we knew it was included in the ’14 budget, we knew Officer Williams would be ideal for bringing an already large basis of knowledge to the position, given her past experience on the force in this area,” said Assistant Chief Marty Skibba.

Williams, a native of Wausau, says she’s excited to be involved in cyber crimes- something the department will begin to formally incorporate into its Investigative Bureau after the New Year. Her initial training will consist of online and in-person classes and should be complete by April.

“I’ve got a lot of experience in different facets of the police department,” Williams said. “I’ve done patrol, I’ve done reserve shift supervisor, crime prevention and I was up at SPASH as a school liaison officer. I’m ready to take on this new role. It’s exciting because it’s all new- we’re doing a lot of exploring regarding what we can do and how we can use it.”

Skibba said the new position will complement the simpler, time-testing techniques used by the force, but says new technology skills are necessary for officers to keep up with tech- savvy criminals. The new computer forensics could also be used to aid in locating missing persons, he added.

“It (investigations) can range from a sexual assault, because somebody sent somebody a text on their phone, it can be anything we can collect evidence from- a cell phone, a laptop, an iPad, an iPhone- any technologies out there, used in connection to a crime, where we could place somebody at a scene during a particular time,” Skibba said. “Now days everybody has a cell phone so if a child goes missing- we can start using those technologies available to the general public along with currently- used investigative skills.

Skibba said the cost of Williams’ ongoing training is estimated to run $5,000- $15,000 over the next few years. He likened it to an IT position, which requires regular training to stay current.

“Our officers already know how to lift a fingerprint- now it’s, how do you life an electric fingerprint. It’s a lot of training for her, but there’s a also a lot of training for the community, that outreach that tells people how to protect themselves,” Skibba said, citing a recent announcement that shoppers who used credit cards at Target stores on Black Friday may have had their accounts hacked. “Target won’t go out and say, ‘hey, by the way, we want your money but don’t use your credit card’. This way, we can educate people on the technology that there are things you can do to protect yourself, your equipment, from some very naughty people.”

Williams will join officially join the SPPD’s Investigative Bureau as a Computer Forensics Officer on January 6, 2014.

“I’m interested in the fact it’s a brand new program to the police department,” she said. “We’ve introduced computer forensics into the department and it’s ready to sprout. I’m excited to make the program the best it can be.”