Funding Computer Investigations

The Internet is a wonderful tool, it puts the world at our fingertips and the click of a mouse. It also is a tool for those that like to exploit our children, trade child pornography, steal our identity and pull scams on anyone they can. This is a major problem for law enforcement. 10 years ago, most police agencies didn't have anyone to do computer investigations but now they need to have a special computer forensic division just to work on crimes that involve the use of computers. Who pays for it? Most agencies have been able to get grants or special funding to develop skills and tactics in this new and growing area of crime. That type of funding is great to get an agency up to speed with investigators and equipment but then the fund dry up. There is an ongoing need for funding to keep these units active and current. The technology changes, at times daily. In my past position we floated the idea of an Internet tax on those with Internet access accounts, both business and personal accounts. We looked at taxing the accounts at one dollar a year. That would have brought just under a million dollars a year in Minnesota (in 2000). That would have funded a great deal back then. Now, more and more states are looking at the establishing some type of Internet access tax and using the funds to fund investigative agencies that are working on any type of Internet Crimes. Now, I am not one that wants my taxes raised on a regular basis but this is one that we all need to consider. Such a tax would allow police agencies to establish and maintain investigators, computer forensic personnel, and their equipment and allow them to have an impact on the worst offenders.

The link above is to an article about the state Louisiana which is considering a 15 cent tax per month on Internet access. We all can afford a couple dollars a year to work on cleaning up the criminals on the Internet. It is such a small price to pay and everyone will benefit from the good the funds would do.