Nearly 270 law enforcement officials from 55 agencies completed specialized auto insurance fraud training at the State Police Academy in Albany, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said Wednesday.
The State Police and Department of Financial Services led the symposium, which focused on detecting, investigating and prosecuting financial crimes that can increase insurance costs.
Participants came from State Police, local police departments, sheriff's offices, university police agencies and district attorneys' offices. The training covered staged crashes, deceptive contractors, schemes targeting older adults and relevant insurance fraud laws.
Sessions included case studies and instruction from the DFS Insurance Frauds Bureau and State Police financial crimes and special investigations units.
The state said the training will become a permanent part of the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation school curriculum.
Hochul's office also pointed to changes in the 2027 state budget, including criminal penalties for people who organize staged crashes, limits on damages for people engaged in unlawful conduct during a crash and tighter oversight of insurance rates.
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