El Paso County is getting a boost in its efforts to fight cybercrimes.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, announced Wednesday, April 29, that El Paso County was set to receive a $700,000 federal grant to aid local enforcement efforts to prevent, investigate and prosecute cybercrimes.
“From online harassment and deepfakes to the sharing of non-consensual intimate imagery, predators are finding new and alarming ways to harm innocent Texans that we must combat,” Cornyn said in a news release.
“While the threat landscape continues to evolve and grow more perilous with the onset of AI and advanced technologies, the goal remains the same — to fight crime, bring perpetrators to justice, and support victims, most of whom are women,” Cornyn said.
Funding for the grant comes for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women through the Local Law Enforcement Grants for Enforcement of Cybercrimes Program. The funding was authorized through the Violence Against Women Act, which Cornyn voted in 2022 to reauthorized through 2027 to fund programs for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
The grant funding will be used to support the following programs:
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment the importance of the funds or the seriousness of cybercrime in the area.
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso County receives $700,000 grant to fight cybercrime, deepfakes
Reporting by Adam Powell, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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