Pickaway County – A local man who used to patrol the streets of Circleville as a police officer has been recognized as one of the country’s best.
Daniel Maher, is a Patrol Forensic Computer Specialist, who specializes in capturing, extracting, and recovering digital data used as critical evidence to solve crimes. Their work requires not only the technical skills to navigate emerging technologies but unwavering patience and careful attention to detail, all in an effort to keep their community—and the world—safe. These skills have become a regular need for law enforcement for crimes like drugs, or especially in the world of child sex crimes.
Maher who holds a reserve at the Circleville Police department has aided in many investigations locally when it comes to child sex crimes and has helped put many of those kinds of criminals behind bars.
Daniel ranked 16 out of more than 3,800 participating digital forensic examiners by the U.S. Secret Service.
So, how did Maher earn this placement? He volunteered for the Forensic Partner Reporting program (FPR) and earned a “Productivity Ranking.” This ranking is calculated by weighing an investigators productivity in three disciplines: media, e-tech and hard drives. Additionally, examiners receive credit for digital data extracted and examined from devices obtained in their criminal investigations.
The National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI) annually recognizes its top 50 state and local law enforcement graduates trained in digital forensic examination techniques. These examiners conduct digital forensic exams in all types of investigations including violent crimes, financial fraud and network intrusion.
Although the rankings generated by this program are exciting, the primary purpose of the data received from these examiners is actually to assess the equipment and software used by the NCFI. In fact, this data is used as the primary return on investment metric provided to Congress for the U.S. Secret Service’s funding for equipment and training opportunities.
