DES MOINES, IOWA (October 22, 2024) — Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has announced the office has secured two federal grants that will support efforts to prevent and prosecute cybercrimes and expand crisis response training for law enforcement.
“No matter what hurdle comes our way, cybercrime or crisis, we must be prepared,” said AG Bird. “These grant funds will equip our team with the tools they need to crackdown on cybercrimes, expand trainings for crisis response, and promote law enforcement wellbeing.”
Grant to Prevent and Prosecute Cybercrimes
The Iowa Attorney General’s office secured a three-year grant for $500,000 from the federal Office on Violence Against Women to prevent, enforce, and prosecute cybercrimes. The office will use the funds to establish a statewide training and outreach program that will provide cybercrime resources and Crisis Response and Intervention Trainings to schools, victim-services organizations, law-enforcement, prosecutors, and judges. The program will focus on education, safety, and prevention efforts, with an emphasis on stopping cybercrimes against survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The grant will also support staff from the Iowa Attorney General’s office attending the National Network to End Domestic Violence's conference and help provide resources for investigating and prosecuting criminals.
Grant to Improve Crisis Response and Promote Law Enforcement Wellbeing
The Iowa Attorney General’s office also received a grant from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance — a three-year grant for $250,000. These funds will be used to expand crisis response and intervention trainings at Iowa’s law-enforcement academies. The grant also promotes law enforcement and community mental-health and provides a wellness app that offers peer-to-peer support for law enforcement.
AG Bird remains laser-focused on providing law enforcement with the tools they need and protecting survivors from cyber abuse.
