CREST Program Launched in Milwaukee

On January 31, 2009, the FBI office in Milwaukee held its first Community Relations Executive Seminar Training (CREST) program. The CREST was presented on the campus of the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Students and other invited guests were offered the opportunity to learn about the FBI's Evidence Response Team (ERT) and Cyber Crime Squads.

The ERT created a mock crime scene and offered CREST participants the opportunity to try some hands-on demonstrations. The Cyber Crime presentation was conducted in partnership with the Milwaukee Police Department. Detectives Doreen Andrews and Richard McQuown hosted a presentation regarding the dangers of online predators.

The FBI created the CREST program in 2006 as a way to build on the success of the popular FBI Citizens' Academy program. The CREST is offered as an opportunity for the FBI to introduce members of the community to its programs and people at locations outside of the FBI offices. Unlike the Citizens' Academy, which is several weeks in length, the CREST program is completed within a day or two, focusing on specific investigative programs. All participants receive a certificate at the conclusion of the program.