Police preparedness to respond to cybercrime in Australia: An analysis of individual and organizational capabilities

• Published in: Journal of criminology (2021) Vol. 55; no. 4; pp. 468 - 494
• Main Authors: Wilson, Michael, Cross, Cassandra, Holt, Thomas, Powell, Anastasia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.12.2022
• Subjects: Computer crimes; Electronic evidence; Investigation; Law enforcement; Police training; Preparedness; Prevention; AUSTRALIA; investigations; training; Cybercrime; evidence; confidence
• ISSN: 2633-8076; 2633-8084
• DOI: 10.1177/26338076221123080

The rapid growth in the availability of information and communications technologies has also expanded opportunities to commit cybercrime. Law enforcement officers are often the first responders to such incidents. Internationally, research has revealed how police preparedness to respond to cybercrime is mediated by organizational policies and procedures, as well as characteristics such as education, gender, and previous training for cybercrime investigations. However, there has been limited research in an Australian context examining police preparedness to respond to cybercrime. As such, this article examines the preparedness of Australian police personnel to respond to cybercrime incidents drawing on surveys with two state-wide police agencies (n=422). Here, we examine the prevalence of cybercrime training across both agencies, levels of individual and organizational confidence about responding to cybercrime incidents, and their views about enhancing responses to cybercrime. The results suggest only half of the surveyed personnel have received some cybercrime-related training, with significantly less reporting specific instruction about how to receive and direct incident reports and manage digital crime scenes. Further, while personnel are modestly confident in their individual capabilities to respond to cybercrime incidents, they lack comparative confidence in their organizations and yearn for more resourcing and professional development. Implications for police resourcing, training, and practices are discussed.