Overview

The Missouri State Technical Assistance Team (STAT) is a highly specialized, criminal investigative agency created in 1991 under the umbrella of Missouri's Department of Social Services. STAT is an agency to it's own, directly under the Director of Missouri Department of Social Services. STAT Investigators are afforded statewide law enforcement authority and are certified police officers by Missouri POST. The simplest definition of STAT is that of a special, "special victims unit." STAT is special because it's singular focus is the criminal investigation of crimes committed against Missouri's most special...children. STAT is an affiliate agency of the Missouri ICAC and has investigators embedded in several federal and state task forces i.e., the MSHP Digital Forensic Investigations Unit and The FBI violent crimes against children task force. STAT is also partners with MSHP to operate the Missouri Digital Forensic Center (MDFC) to perform digital forensic analysis of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices to locate potential evidence of criminal activity. STAT Field Investigators are strategically located at a variety of locations across the state in order to assist federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, federal and county prosecutors, juvenile officers, coroners and medical examiners, Missouri Children's Division staff and family court staff. These specific groups are the only groups authorized to request STAT assistance pursuant to RSMo. STAT is one of only two agencies in Missouri to have the use of a highly specialized K-9 with the ability to "sniff out" electronic devices that may have been hidden. STAT also administers the Missouri Child Fatality Review Program (CFRP) and receives the information for each of the 115 local CFRP panels as directed by RSMo. STAT CFRP produces an annual report of the data collected from the local panels that specifically describes the cause and nature of child deaths in the state.