Exploring Officers’ Responses to Cybercrime Calls-for-Service

• In Event: Cybercrime, Social Networks & Policing

Abstract

The rise of the Internet and digital technology impacts how law enforcement officers respond to various cybercrime calls-for-service. An enhanced layer of anonymity and privacy enables motivated offenders to conduct illicit activity with reduced risks of apprehension and detection, which makes cybercrimes more challenging for officers to tackle. Despite the rising prevalence of cybercrime incidents and the mandates to respond to online crimes, studies indicate that officers are often ill-prepared to handle these cases due to several individual and organizational factors, including a lack of knowledge and awareness around both current and emerging cybercrime behaviors, perceptions of low cybercrime seriousness, organizational cultures prioritizing traditional offline crimes, budget cuts/financial strains, and limited or outdated training on cybercrime investigations. This study aims to identify the types of cybercrime offenses officers face in the U.S., followed by their responses to cybercrime and the factors that impact officers’ responses. This study found that several challenges impede officers’ responses, including a lack of agreed-upon definitions of cybercrime, absence of robust empirical cybercrime data, unreliable partnerships between law enforcement agencies and private industry, and limited evaluation research on cybercrime policing. Future research and policy implications also are discussed in detail.

Author

• Wei-Gin Lee, George Mason University