Vigo Co. High-Tech Crime Unit making a difference

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — High-Tech Crime Units were recognized for their accomplishments across the state, including one in Vigo Co.

High-Tech Crime Units process and review digital evidence of serious crimes. ISU junior Wyatt Hanaway says that the Vigo Co. unit gives students like himself a chance to be official investigators sworn in by the Vigo Co. Prosecutor’s Office.

“We get to see everything on those phones and everything on those devices that we can tag as evidence, put into our ports, and take it straight to the court if we need to,” Hanaway said. “One of us has been called to testify before, and it’s really a great program that you get to be in to get used to the court systems, and also to recognize what can be used as evidence, what can’t be used as evidence.”

Vigo Co. Prosecutor Terry Modesitt says the unit allows him to get digital evidence back in a much quicker fashion, leading to quicker trials.

“We had to depend on the Indiana State Police lab previously before we had this High-Tech Crime Unit,” Modesitt said. “They are so far behind because there’s one lab for the whole state of Indiana, so you send something in there to be analyzed, it could take 6,8,9,10 months to get it back.”

Students in the program can sometimes get the information back in a matter of days. Director Dr. Jason James says they deal with real-world work, while getting a head start on pursuing a career after college.

“They are in a program where that’s the type of work that they want to do,” James said. “In today’s world everyone wants a degree, and everyone wants experience. This is a way to give that type of experience, so that these students can get those jobs when they graduate.”

The unit also utilizes gaming computers, which have the same specs as a digital forensics computer, but costs a third of the price.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com.