Boulder County, Colo. -The Boulder County Digital Forensic Lab has been recognized with an award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The award honors innovative, effective government programs that strengthen services for residents.

The Boulder County Digital Forensics lab is a task force of investigators from multiple Boulder County agencies that work together to help process and analyze digital devices to extract evidence as needed for criminal cases. The original Boulder County Computer Forensic Lab (as it used to be called) was established in 2007 with only 2 examiners working from different agencies.

Due to our shared commitment to public safety, more law enforcement agencies trained personnel in the field. The lab was re-formed and re-named under a task force model, where one Boulder County Sheriff’s Office sergeant oversees all of the computer forensic detectives and District Attorney Investigators working in the unit to help standardize work product and streamline the request process.

Currently, the lab hosts 1 sergeant and 9 detectives. The lab processes hundreds of electronic items, from computers to cell phones to car media systems, and finds information that is often crucial in proving a criminal case. In addition to processing evidence submitted by various agencies, the lab also provides expert testimony on those cases.

Further, the lab reviews and investigates cyber-tips provided by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, as well as conducting proactive investigations into people trafficking in child sexually exploitative material. This is a difficult topic to face, but an important one to be addressed in any community. This type of conduct takes place in every community. But, in Boulder County, we have a Digital Forensics Lab and they pursue this criminal conduct because the investigators fully recognize the serious and scary nature of child sexual exploitation cases.

The success of the Digital Forensics Lab can be viewed in the metrics of the number of cases they process each year:

• 2020
• 527 devices processed
• 267 cases opened
• 2021
• 465 devices processed
• 272 cases opened
• 2022
• 594 devices processed
• 284 cases opened
• 2023
• 992 devices processed
• 330 cases opened
• 2024
• 762 devices processed
• 295 cases opened

Beyond these numbers, it is notable that these cases were generally related to serious crimes. In 2024, for example, the opened cases listed primarily related to Crimes Against Children and Death investigations, Human Trafficking/Sexual Assault cases and Miscellaneous Persons Crimes. Also included in these numbers were 74 ICAC tips investigated, resulting in 15 search warrants, 5 suspects arrested and 3 cases where an arrest warrant was pending (as of the end of 2024). The Unit won the Sheriff’s Office Distinguished Unit Award for 2024 due to all of the work the lab has been doing to protect the community and advance serious investigations.

Earlier today, the DA’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office received the NACo award for our work in this area, along with our law enforcement partners throughout the jurisdiction.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “I want to congratulate and thank the outstanding team in the Digital Forensic Lab. And I should stress two things that are special about our Lab. First, we are one of the only jurisdictions to have our own Lab and it makes a real difference to public safety and case processing times. Also, the Lab is comprised of detectives from different agencies throughout Boulder County. So, this award is really a reflection of our shared commitment to this community, our collaboration, and the use of best practices.”

Sheriff Curtis Johnson stated, "I am proud of the work being done by the Boulder County Digital Forensic Lab and I appreciate the District Attorney's Office nominating them for this award. Their efforts demonstrate the strong collaboration between law enforcement agencies in Boulder County."