Salinas receives grant for forensic vehicle as part of Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The city of Salinas has received a $200,000 grant sub-award that will go toward a mobile computer forensic vehicle. It will be used by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The state's Office of Emergency Services awarded the grant funds to the task force in San Jose, but the city agreed to give Salinas a sub-award. The Silicon Valley ICAC Task Force is part of the national ICAC task force, and that is made up of 61 regional task force agencies.

The ICAC helps state and local law enforcement respond to child sexual exploitation using technology and internet crimes against children. The help includes forensic and investigative components, training and technical help, victim services and community education.

ICAC was created because of the increase in the number of children and teens using the internet and other technology, the number of child sexual abuse images available through electronics and more predators online looking for unsupervised contact with potential underage victims, according to police.

The program is also used to train law enforcement and prosecutors and educate parents and youth about potential dangers.

Police said the mobile forensic vehicle has not been built yet, but will be designed to meet designated specification. They said the cost of the vehicle, equipment and installation will not go above the grant amount.