Troy University is about to take one more step in the fight against crime.

A new $463,000 Department of Justice grant will expand Troy’s forensic science institute, which offers training initiatives to law enforcement and assists with computer crime research and a computer forensic science lab, Information Technology Director Greg Price said.

Price said the university uses the lab to assist in obtaining digital evidence for local, state and federal law enforcement.

With the grant, Price said these programs will begin to grow.

“We’ll begin offering larger, more in-depth training sessions to law enforcement, increase the work we’re doing on cyber crime and we’ll expand the lab, providing the ability for law enforcement to have hands on training,” Price said.

Price said the program will be geared primarily toward training law enforcement in the state, but students will have an opportunity to participate in some research activities.

“We were able to offer some assistance to law enforcement at the federal level on some cases, and we’ll have the opportunity to expand growth on that,” Price said.

Price said most of the research on cyber crime and forensic evidence has been done in conjunction with the ABI and the FBI.

“It will offer students … a very unique opportunity to explore an emerging component of criminal investigation research,” Price said. “For the university as a whole, it will be a great opportunity to enhance the skills of law enforcement.”