It was a very difficult thing to convince the powers that be that we needed to have someone doing this full-time. It's not like just going across town. It's expensive and time-consuming. Zakhary's goal is to have an officer trained in computer crime in a year. Even so, he says, it's something the department should do because state and federal agencies simply won't be able to handle every Internet case.
Some regions tackle cybercrime with task forces that allow various agencies to pool expertise.
The Computer Law Enforcement of Washington is a group that local, Washington state and federal agencies formed in March to fight cybercrime. The idea is to avoid duplicating efforts, state Assistant Attorney General Lana Martuscelli says. It's going to require a new way of thinking. The National White Collar Crime Center in Fairmont, W.Va., has been training state and local law enforcement in fighting cybercrime for four years. It trains 1,500 people a year, compared with the 200 it trained in its first year.