(L-R) Thomas Braun, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo field office, Charles Perras, Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge, Inv/Sgt. Jay Warren, Rich Martin, Newark Police Chief. Credit: Newark (NY) Police Department
The Newark (NY) Police Department is proud to announce that on Feb. 3rd, the U.S. Secret Service’s National Computer Forensics Institute recognized Inv/Sgt. Jay Warren as the No. 1 local law enforcement graduate trained in digital forensic examination techniques in the country. The award is based on productivity of these local digital forensic partners in everything from examination of thumb drives and DVD’s to cell phones and network storage systems.
The Secret Service started the Forensic Partner Reporting program to train local law enforcement in digital forensic examination as a way to expand its capacity in this realm while simultaneously increasing the capacity of local law enforcement agencies in those areas as well. Today, there are more than 1,500 of these participating examiners across the U.S. and Warren has been at the top examiner four years straight.
This has resulted in an almost mythical status among the digital forensic examiners. USSS National Intrusion Forensic Analyst Tom Barillari explained that, whenever he is at the training facility in Alabama and people learn he is from Western NY, he is constantly asked if he knows Warren. While at the Buffalo field office of the USSS, a Buffalo Detective who was introduced to Warren replied, “Wow, you really do exist. I keep hearing about you and was wondering if you were real.”
"As a chief, it is always great when those in the agency shine. This award is not only a testament to the great work that Inv/Sgt. Warren has done, but also shows that you don’t need to come from an NYPD or Chicago PD to be at the top in your law enforcement field. Great work is done in small agencies all across the United States including right here in Newark," said Mayor Jonathan Taylor. “On behalf of our community, I would like to congratulate Investigator Warren on his recognition by the Secret Service. Investigator Warren's leadership both within our department and in the field has been exemplary. His skills in digital forensics have been invaluable not only to our community, but for the entire country. Receiving the top honors four years in a row is a testament to his hard work, dedication and commitment to our community."