New Jersey is set to receive a little over half a million dollars in funding aimed at protecting children from online predators, according to News 12 New York. The money will go to the New Jersey State Police to strengthen how investigators pursue those who target children over the internet.
The funding will be used to update the technology that investigators rely on to find and charge people who target children online. Officials said the upgrades are meant to help law enforcement keep pace with a threat that has been shifting quickly as new tools emerge.
The investment comes as cyber tips have skyrocketed over the past year, according to the station. State police pointed to the growing volume of reports as a sign of how quickly the problem has been expanding and why they need better resources to respond.
Authorities said artificial intelligence is just one of many new threats that children now face online. One official said it was starting to become a problem and that they have to get ahead of it, adding that new legislation would also be needed to help address it.
The official said police had been waiting for the funding for about the last two years, having anticipated that AI would become a problem. They noted that there is now more training at a national level for those who carry out ICAC investigations into crimes against children.
Police said one of the biggest factors driving the increase in cyber crimes against children is the constant introduction of new technology and apps, which give predators fresh ways to reach young people. The new funding is intended to help investigators keep up with those changes.