On Thursday, U.S. Representative Angie Craig announced her submission for the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office to receive $325,000 for the department’s electronic crimes unit outreach and program expansion in 2023. Craig submitted her request for Community Project Funding (CPF) for the Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations process, through which Members of Congress are able to request funding for up to 15 specific projects in their districts which would serve the public good. According to a press release issued by Craig, the project funding would be used for a county-wide outreach campaign to prevent and prosecute electronic crimes and determine the volume of victimization. Funding would also be utilized to hire a forensic technician responsible for investigating crimes such as cyberstalking, elder scams and cyberbullying, as well as leverage personnel in the Electronic Crimes Unit of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, this project would also increase the discovery and prosecution of these under-reported crimes and provide necessary community education and law enforcement training to prevent crime and improve case outcomes.
