Polk detective gets special tech training

A monthlong course and several pieces of new technical gear are giving Polk County new capabilities to help with a variety of investigations.

Polk County police detective B. Brady got back just a couple of weeks ago from a 30-day class learning how to use a variety of new gear provided free to him by the Federal government — which greatly expands the capabilities searching technology used by suspects involved in criminal cases.

He’s already been using the new gear in high profile local investigations, getting right back to work upon his return.

“A case in point is the dog case,” Brady said. “I received several phones from that, and got search warrants for them and brought them back. Instead of having to take those phones and go through the GBI, or Carrollton, we can do it in house now.”

These new capabilities come thanks to a federal program which provided everything from upgraded storage and thumb drives to the gear Brady is now using to dig into the devices which are part of a criminal investigation.

Essentially, the technology allows for him to gain access to digital devices after authorities have gone through the process of obtaining search warrants, and keeping the information secure from anyone who might want to try to gain access.

“It was great training, and it was difficult,” he said. “... We’ve had 16 phones in a week since it’s been up and running. And that’s just from here.”

Brady has already been trained as an investigator with the Georgia Internet Crimes against Children Task Force put together by the GBI and a network of local law enforcement officers.

He said if more officers were trained, the potential to process evidence with additional speed would be beneficial, keeping others from having to wait for information can lead to solving crimes faster.

“I could sit in here with the ones (phones) I have now and sit here and do a week’s worth of work,” Brady said.