Hutchinson ? Three years ago, victims of financial crimes in Hutchinson could expect to wait months for any kind of law enforcement response to their case, and even then arrests were few and far between.

At the time, detectives were assigned individual beats throughout the city and handled all crimes reported within their areas of responsibility. Also, forgeries and fraud were given a low priority compared with violent crimes and property crimes.

“Financial crimes were basically at the bottom of the totem pole,” said Hutchinson Police Detective Dean Harcrow.

In January 2006, the detectives were reorganized into divisions based on types of crime, and Harcrow began investigating financial and so-called white-collar crimes full-time. He was soon joined by Detective Bobby Holmquist, and the two have been investigating fraud, forgeries, identity thefts, embezzlement and scams for the past three years. The development coincided with an increase in financial crimes.

More financial crimes

At the time, Hutchinson was experiencing an unprecedented number of fraudulent check reports.

Since then, check forgeries have dropped precipitously, but other types of financial crimes have been on the rise. With the current economic troubles, the detectives expect to see even more reports in coming months.

“I interviewed an individual who wrote a couple of fake checks and asked him why he did it,” Harcrow said. “He said he was out of a job and out of money. With the way the economy is now, I can see it on the rise.”

Computer-based crimes, such as using someone else’s information to make online purchases, are also increasing. The detectives have attended several specialized training courses geared toward investigating financial and computer crimes.

The work can be time-consuming. The detectives may spend hours poring over financial records, or they may have to travel to other cities to work with other departments when crimes transcend jurisdictions.

Business partnerships

The two often work closely with local businesses. For instance, many suspects who cash fraudulent checks are identified through security footage at the businesses.

“If I have trouble, they are on the spot just like that,” said Tonya Penny, a customer service officer at First National Bank of Hutchinson.

“There are other cities where it isn’t a high priority. But with these guys it is a high priority.”

One of their most important responsibilities, the detectives say, is in the realm of public education. They urge people to shred any documents with personal information before throwing them away. Hutchinson has a large number of “Dumpster divers” who might use information found in trash.

People are also urged to use caution when giving out personal information. Another common form of trouble comes from leaving checkbooks and wallets in vehicles, which then get burglarized.

Mike Prusinski, vice president of public affairs for LifeLock, said Kansas saw a 19 percent increase in identity theft in 2008 and ranks 33rd in the nation for that crime.

“With all other crimes you’re innocent until proven guilty, but with identity theft you’re guilty until proven innocent,” Prusinski said.