NEW CITY, NY— Detective Barbara Willen, a criminal investigator with the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office has completed advanced mobile device forensics training aimed at improving the recovery of digital evidence in criminal cases.
Willen, assigned to the office’s investigative unit, recently finished a weeklong course at the National Computer Forensics Institute in Hoover, Alabama. The program, titled “Introduction to Phone Repair,” focuses on equipping law enforcement personnel with the technical skills needed to diagnose and repair damaged or non-operational mobile devices that may contain critical evidence.
The training combined classroom instruction with hands-on exercises. Participants learned how to identify and troubleshoot common hardware issues that can prevent forensic analysis, as well as foundational electrical theory and soldering techniques used in advanced device repair.
According to the district attorney’s office, the course covered skills including replacing screens and batteries, repairing or replacing damaged charging ports, direct-booting devices to a logic board using an external power supply, performing logic-board transfers to donor devices and restoring functionality to allow for data extraction and preservation.
“There’s always a possibility of receiving digital devices that are damaged or cannot function properly,” Willen said in a statement. “This training gives our office the ability to repair and recover critical evidence in-house.”
Officials said the additional expertise will enhance the investigative unit’s capacity to handle damaged or compromised devices, which have become increasingly central to modern criminal investigations involving smartphones and other digital technology.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II praised Willen’s completion of the program, saying her continued professional development helps ensure the office remains prepared to investigate technology-driven crimes.
By completing the course, Willen brings expanded technical capabilities back to Rockland County, potentially reducing the need to outsource certain repairs and allowing for more efficient recovery and preservation of digital evidence, officials said.