Thank you for visiting the homepage for the Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force.  What first began as the Central Point Police Department's High-Tech Crimes Unit in 2005 has evolved into a multi-jurisdictional regional task force.  The task force is a cooperative effort between the City of Central Point Police Department, the City of Medford Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the City of Ashland Police Department, the City of Grants Pass Department of Public Safety, and the Jackson County District Attorneys Office.

Our task force is equally divided into three components; proactive investigations, reactive services, and public education.  Proactive investigations include online undercover operations, stings, and the identification of individuals involved in cyber crime.  Reactive services involve the forensic analysis of digital media, research, and development, providing consultation in the area of electronic evidence, courtroom testimony, and many others.  Public education is a primary focus of our task force and we conduct several public education events each month.  Our task force instructs law enforcement officers and prosecutors in the area of high-tech crimes, teaches parents and children about Internet safety and sexual predators, and the community about topics such as online identity theft prevention.

The forensic analysis of digital evidence is a scientific process that require specialized equipment and highly trained personnel.  Our task force personnel are trained and certified by several organizations and work with over 40 law enforcement agencies in Oregon.  All members of the task force are required to attend the intensive forensic training offered by the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS) and obtain their Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) status.   There are currently only about 420 CFCE's in the entire world and it is an extremely difficult certification to obtain.

The task force is the only non-federal standalone Digital Forensics Laboratory accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board Legacy Program (ASCLD/LAB) worldwide. Becoming ASCLD/LAB Accredited was a major goal for the task force and something that we are very proud of. Being accredited signfies that our practices, procedures and methodologies have been reviewed by experts in the field of forensic science and that we are among the most capable forensics labs in the world. To become accredited our task force had to comply with multiple standards on subjects varying from personnel training and education to quality control standards and forensic procedures.

Our task force is involved with several other organizations such as the Oregon Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

The Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force has created a resource for law enforcement in our area that did not previously exist.  From finding the "smoking gun" on electronic evidence like computers or cell phones to proactively identifying and arresting individuals in our area who are sexually exploiting children we have been able to hold people accountable for crimes that may have otherwise gone unnoticed or not prosecuted.

I encourage you to view our other sections of this website and check back often for updates.  We also have a MySpace page that is frequently updated, and you can sign up for e-mail alerts on the left of this page.  Again, thank you for visiting and feel free to contact us with any questions.

Sincerely,

Sergeant Josh Moulin - CFCE,DFCP,ACE,CEECS
Task Force Commander