{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://alford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1653", "Alford Advances $1.6 Million for Cass County Digital Forensics Unit", "2026-06-08", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Mark Alford", "A000379", "alford.house.gov", "alford", "https://alford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8646, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027. Through his role on the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) secured $1,597,750 to modernize the Cass County Sheriff\u2019s Digital Forensics Unit in the House-passed legislation.\n\nThis targeted investment will construct a secure addition to the Cass County Sheriff\u2019s Office to address growing demand for digital evidence processing by providing updated laboratory space, climate-controlled evidence storage, upgraded infrastructure, and specialized forensic equipment to support law enforcement investigations.\n\n\u201cThrough our work on the Appropriations Committee, we\u2019re pursuing targeted investments for reasonable projects in the Fourth District focused on healthcare, law enforcement, and infrastructure,\u201d said Congressman Alford. \u201cI was proud to secure this funding for the Cass County Digital Forensics Unit. By modernizing and expanding the unit\u2019s capability, we\u2019re helping bolster public safety and protect our most vulnerable through the work of the Western Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Together, we will turn the \u2018Show Me State\u2019 into the \u2018Grow Me State.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cI am very appreciative of Congressman Alford's work to secure funding for this project. It will directly strengthen our ability to protect children and support our partner agencies,\u201d said Cass County Sheriff Jeff Weber. \u201cExpanding our forensic capacity means faster analysis, quicker identification of offenders, and better outcomes for victims.\u201d\n\nDigital evidence now plays a role in nearly every major investigation. In 2025 alone, the Digital Forensics Investigative Unit processed 589 devices totaling 127 terabytes of data. Investigators assigned to the 7 county Western Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received 245 cyber tips, opened 190 investigations, and identified 36 child victims. Current facility limitations contribute to backlogs that can delay arrests, victim identification, and court proceedings.\n\nHere\u2019s what other Cass County elected leaders are saying about this critical federal investment:\n\n\u201cWe are grateful to Congressman Alford for securing this funding to help protect children in Cass County and across western Missouri,\u201d said Cass County Presiding Commissioner Bob Huston. \u201cThis investment strengthens the work of law enforcement and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force by providing the tools needed to investigate crimes against children, identify offenders, and help keep our youngest and most vulnerable citizens safe.\u201d\n\n\"Public safety is a top priority,\u201d said Missouri State Rep. Sherri Gallick (District 62). \"Without safe communities, families, businesses, and economic growth cannot thrive. Thank you to Congressman Alford for securing this important investment for Cass County. Modernizing the Digital Forensics Unit will strengthen investigations, preserve critical evidence, and enhance law enforcement\u2019s ability to keep our communities safe.\n\n\u201cI wish to convey my profound thanks to Congressman Alford for his unwavering support of Law Enforcement, especially his instrumental role in securing funding for the Cass County Sheriff's office to upgrade their digital evidence storage and processing capabilities,\u201d said Missouri State Rep. Bill Irwin (District 55). Drawing from my experience as a retired Lees Summit Police Officer and my current role on the Crime and Public Safety Committee in the House of Representatives, I recognize the pivotal role this plays in ensuring the successful prosecution of crimes and protecting our citizens. Thank you, Congressman Alford, for your exceptional service; please keep up the fantastic work.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe greatly appreciate and strongly support Congressman Alford\u2019s efforts to secure funding in the Agriculture Appropriations bill for the modernization of the Cass County Sheriff\u2019s Digital Forensics Unit. This investment is especially important for a county like ours, where many of our communities are rural and often face unique funding challenges for such things. These improvements will strengthen law enforcement\u2019s ability to investigate crimes, protect victims, and support the critical work of the Western Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force,\u201d said Harrisonville, MO Mayor Mike Zaring.\n\n\u201cWe appreciate Congressman Mark Alford\u2019s continued leadership and commitment to representing communities of all sizes across our region. We are fortunate to have a representative who is so accessible and willing to advocate not just for larger cities, but also for the needs of the smaller rural municipalities,\u201d Mayor Zaring continued. \u201cHis efforts are crucial in making sure all communities have a voice and access to the resources needed to remain safe and secure.\n\nCommunity Project Funding is a way for Members of Congress to direct federal money to specific local projects in their districts as part of the annual appropriations, or government funding, bills. This gives Members a tool to address real community needs, with new rules aiming to reduce waste and increase transparency compared to the previous earmark process.\n\nCongressman Alford is the only Missourian on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which controls the purse strings for the entire federal government. Through this role, Alford secured almost $23,000,000 in targeted investments in Fiscal Year 2026 for the Fourth District to help turn the \u201cShow Me State\u201d into the \u201cGrow Me State.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-09T06:27:37Z", "2026-06-09T06:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://alford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1653"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5187649987637997, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}