Resident urges creation of Boca Raton cyber police unit, offers volunteer support; staff to follow up

Anastasia Colas, a Boca Raton resident, urged the City Council to consider establishing a dedicated cyber police capability to address rising cybercrime and said she has offered to volunteer to build such a unit at no cost.

Colas told the council she submitted paperwork to volunteer and that she has collected evidence she said shows cybersecurity threats in the Boca Raton area. She described items she called “OMG cables” — cables that resemble chargers but, she said, can allow attackers to access personal devices — and said she had brought a physical example. Colas also raised concerns about DNS manipulation and the misuse of artificial intelligence, which she described as “rogue artificial intelligence,” saying those technologies have been used to facilitate criminal activity and require specialized response capabilities beyond traditional policing.

Colas said she is a former Duke University student and offered technical qualifications; she asked for staff assistance and follow-up. Mayor Singer asked Colas to leave contact information so city staff could follow up; staff acknowledged they would do so but did not commit to any formal action at the meeting.

No council action or staff report was taken on the substance of creating a cyber unit during the meeting; the item was recorded as a public request and staff will follow up with the resident to receive the material she said she brought and to discuss next steps if appropriate.