Captain Alexa Hancock is a 20-year veteran of the Florida Highway Patrol currently assigned to the Bureau of Criminal Investigations. Previously stationed in Fort Pierce, Lantana and Panama City, Captain Hancock developed the Identity Theft and Document Authentication Unit after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In 2009, due to the addition of a formal crime intelligence unit, the Identity Theft and Document Authentication Unit was modified and became the CRISS Unit. The crime intelligence unit is comprised of one management analyst and eight crime intelligence analysts located throughout the state of Florida.

The CRISS Unit has numerous duties, including but not limited to:

• the investigation of cases involving identity theft, fraudulent documents, and driver license fraud
• developing and conducting training for citizens and law enforcement officers in the areas of identity theft prevention and investigation and in the detection of fraudulent documents
• conducting forensic analysis of documents to support all divisions within the DHSMV
• responding to requests from other law enforcement agencies for forensic document analysis
• research and analytical support for criminal investigations being conducted by members of the Florida Highway Patrol

Identity Theft

Through the CRISS Unit, FHP recently became a partner with the Center for Identity Management and Information Protection (CIMIP). CIMIP, housed at Utica College in New York, is a research collaborative dedicated to furthering a national research agenda on identity management, information sharing, and data protection. Founded in June 2006, its ultimate goal is to impact policy, regulation, and legislation, and work toward a more secure homeland.