ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y. — Law enforcement personnel gathered at Rockland Community College on Thursday, September 10, for a regional conference on artificial intelligence tools for digital investigations and the constitutional and privacy concerns surrounding access to data.
The Rockland County District Attorney’s Office hosted the event in partnership with Magnet Forensics. Presentations covered AI-powered investigative tools and how agencies can use emerging technology to support public safety, according to the office.
Digital evidence and privacy share the agenda
The conference focused on changes in digital investigations, with speakers addressing tools available to law enforcement as well as concerns about accessing data. The district attorney’s office described the training as an opportunity for agencies to keep pace with an evolving field.
“Digital investigations are going through an incredible period of transformation and law enforcement agencies need every tool at their disposal to stay ahead,” the office said in its announcement.
Magnet Forensics develops software used to extract, analyze and report on digital evidence. According to the company’s history, former police officer Jad Saliba left policing in 2011 to launch the business with Adam Belsher after developing investigative tools while working in a digital forensic unit.
Prosecutor and former Defense Department examiner lead presentations
Featured speaker Justin Fitzsimmons serves as technical prosecutor lead at Magnet Forensics. He also works part time as an assistant state’s attorney assigned to the Cyber Crime Unit of the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office in Illinois, according to the Rockland DA’s office.
Fitzsimmons trains law enforcement personnel on modern approaches to digital evidence. His background combines prosecution work with instruction on investigative technology.
The other featured speaker, Tarah Ward, is a senior solutions consultant with Magnet Forensics. She previously spent 10 years as a forensic examiner with the U.S. Department of Defense, specializing in cyber defense, incident response and counterterrorism, the office said.
Training adds to local focus on cyber investigations
Digital evidence has figured in other Rockland County cases. Shore News Network previously reported on a Rockland County man’s guilty plea in a child exploitation case following a cyber tip investigation.
The district attorney’s office thanked Magnet Forensics for providing the training and the law enforcement partners who attended the September 10 conference.