Lucerne public prosecutor's office wants to arm itself against cyber criminals
The Lucerne Public Prosecutor's Office no longer wants to have to let cybercriminals go free simply because they are difficult to track down. It is calling on policymakers to provide the resources needed to equip specialists to combat this new form of crime.
For the first time in 2018, the Lucerne public prosecutor's office has carried out an extra statistical analysis of offenses committed with the help of information and communication technologies. It came up with 469 cases. 310 of these - exactly two thirds - were suspended because the perpetrators could not be identified. This is unsatisfactory, said Chief Public Prosecutor Daniel Burri on Tuesday at the annual media conference of the Lucerne public prosecutor's office.
Burri is convinced that cybercrime will also increase with digitalization. The development is worrying, he said. The police and public prosecutor's office must take a step forward so that Lucerne is not overrun by cybercrime. Together with the criminal investigation department, the chief public prosecutor wants to launch a corresponding project and show the Lucerne cantonal council what is needed by the fall. "We need more resources and options," said Burri. "That costs money."
Burri envisages deploying specialized public prosecutors to deal with cyber criminals in future. Human resources are to be increased and cooperation with the criminal investigation department expanded. However, Burri also sees a need for action in terms of infrastructure. The specialists need offices and the necessary hardware and software.
Burri explained that there will still be cases in the future where the perpetrators cannot be identified. However, he also hopes for a preventative effect if word gets around that the Lucerne authorities are active in cybercrime.
Around 90 percent of the crimes that fall under cybercrime are crimes against property. For example, fraudsters advertise apartments or cars on the internet that do not exist and demand down payments from interested parties. Only 3 percent of cybercrime is pornography. (SDA)
