CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Police Department is proposing a partnership with the U.S. Secret Service to allow the agencies to focus on cyber-enabled financial crimes, such as fraud, hacking that targets money, digital theft, and similar offenses.

On Wednesday at City Hall, the Public Safety Committee voted to approve the partnership, which next will go to the City Council for approval.

CPD working directly with Secret Service

The City of Clarksville is signing an agreement with the U.S. Secret Service so local police can work directly with federal agents by conducting joint investigations, using federal forensic labs and getting reimbursed for certain overtime costs.

Some Clarksville police officers may also be deputized to act as federal agents during the operations. City of Clarksville Police Chief Ty Burdine said on Wednesday, while the Secret Service does do protective services, a lot of what they do deals with digital forensics.

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He said they are the pros at digital forensics and that those are their major cases. Burdine said the cases could range from child sex crimes to homicide. He also said CPD has two embedded digital forensics working full-time as investigators.

“What’s new about this (partnership) is that we’re going to keep those (forensic investigators) and having a partnership with the Secret Service could help with funding, additional funding with digital forensics, but most of all … What they’ve done is they’ve combined their electronic crimes task forces and the financial crimes task force into what’s called the cyber fraud task force.

“That’s huge, because, as you know, one of the biggest things out there with crime and victims is fraud. Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, major scamming and to be honest with you, once it goes outside the city there is nothing that CDP can do,” Burdine said.

‘If we don’t stay on top of that then we’re going to be 10 years behind’

Burdine clarified that having this partnership with the Secret Service does not mean CPD will go across all 50 states investigating fraud. He said it gives the department expanded services to help Tennesseans outside the state if required.

“I wanted to have TFO’s (Task Force Officers) that can investigate because our future in crime is, we’re still going to have the violence, but the crypto, Bitcoin frauds, deepfake technology; if we don’t stay on top of that then we’re going to be 10 years behind in about six months,” Burdine warned.

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If the resolution is approved, CPD would get access to information sharing, which means the Secret Service can share information with CPD, and CPD can share information back. Anything CPD shares becomes a federal record.

Deputizing Clarksville officers

Through the U.S. Marshals Service certain CPD officers may be sworn in as Task Force Officers with Special Deputy status. This means they will be allowed to:

  • Carry a firearm as a federal agent.
  • Hold federal credentials.
  • Perform federal law enforcement duties only related to cyber-financial crimes.
  • Follow Secret Service policies while acting in the TFO role.

Other information regarding this resolution includes officers getting reimbursement for overtime. If CPD officers work overtime on Secret Service cases, the federal government can reimburse Clarksville for some of those costs – up to $15,000 per officer per year.

This memorandum of understanding would last until both sides agree to end it, or either side gives a 30 days’ written notice.

Approved partnership between CPD, ATF

The Public Safety Committee also approved a Memorandum of Agreement with The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) during the meeting.

This agreement allows CPD to work with ATF on joint investigations and get reimbursed for some of the costs. With this agreement the Clarksville Police Department will assign officers to work with ATF on investigations, providing resources such as time, personnel and equipment. And assist in cases involving violations of federal, state or local laws.

ATF will then reimburse CPD for approved overtime and expenses, work jointly with the CPD, and follow other procedures outlined in the agreement.

What’s next

The partnerships approved by the Public Safety Committee between CPD and the Secret Service, as well as the ATF, will next go to the Clarksville City Council for approval.

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