Evidence & Recognition

Commercial burglary | Cloud evidence

I compared preserved cloud records with a later export, identified differences in available images, and organized relevant account activity into a timeline. Independent records also helped test a claim made in the account material.

Wire fraud | Computer evidence

I examined a forensic computer image and located payment-instruction emails, browser traces related to suspected fraudulent identity documents, and supporting artifacts. I documented the findings for investigator review.

Robbery | Mobile-device evidence

I recovered partial data from a locked phone, compared device and SIM records, and bookmarked activity around relevant dates. The report documented both useful findings and extraction limits.

ALPR program | Target + Blue and Genetec AutoVu

From 2007–2010, Troy served as the Lakeville Police Department's ALPR program lead for a $40,000 Target + Blue corporate partnership grant supporting Genetec AutoVu. The work required coordination across Target Corporation, BCA CJIS, Genetec and Lakeville Information Technology.

Operational problem

Convert grant funding into a reliable field capability that could receive current license-plate hotlists and fit practical patrol and investigative workflows.

Stakeholders

Target Corporation's Target + Blue program, BCA CJIS, Genetec AutoVu, Lakeville Information Technology and agency end users.

Requirements

Reliable nightly hotlist synchronization, CJIS-aware data handling, municipal IT compatibility and a workflow usable in field operations.

Implementation

Collaborated on the corporate grant with a reserve officer who also worked in Target Assets Protection, then coordinated the agency-side program across funding, Genetec AutoVu, BCA CJIS, Lakeville IT and operational workflow.

Training / adoption

Supported field adoption by connecting system behavior and data availability to practical patrol and investigative use. This public summary does not claim formal Genetec trainer status or system-administrator authority.

Troubleshooting

Worked across BCA CJIS, Genetec and Lakeville IT to support reliable automatic hotlist transfers over Wi-Fi on the nightly update cycle.

Adoption result

The ALPR program operated from 2007–2010 with automated daily hotlist updates incorporated into the agency workflow.

Lesson learned

Public-safety technology succeeds when funding, data integration, municipal IT, vendor support and frontline workflow are solved together rather than treated as separate problems.

Source basis: verified career constants and technology inventory. No procurement authority beyond the documented program-lead and grant-collaboration role is implied.

Electronic-crimes capability build | Cellebrite UFED and investigator enablement

During the 2016–2017 Electronic Crimes Unit assignment, Troy acquired and configured the unit's initial Cellebrite UFED capability and developed a structured investigator resource package for electronic-evidence work. The unit itself predated Troy's assignment; this case study describes his documented infrastructure and enablement contribution, not unit creation.

Operational problem

Investigators entering electronic-crimes work faced a learning curve spanning mobile-device evidence, legal process, provider requirements and escalation to specialized digital-forensics resources.

Stakeholders

Lakeville patrol and investigations personnel, the Electronic Crimes Unit, the Dakota County Electronic Crimes Task Force and external service-provider processes.

Requirements

An initial mobile-forensics acquisition capability plus repeatable guidance for administrative subpoenas, preservation requests, search warrants and ISP/ESP reference information.

Implementation

Acquired and configured the initial Cellebrite UFED capability, built the investigator training folder and served as a bridge between patrol/investigations and the DCECTF task force.

Training / adoption

Designed the resource package to reduce the learning curve for investigators new to electronic-crimes work. A later performance review identified Troy as a digital-forensics subject-matter expert and peer resource. See evidence excerpt.

Troubleshooting

Created a repeatable path for technical and legal-process questions to move from frontline investigators to documented guidance or specialized task-force support instead of being handled as isolated problems.

Adoption result

Converted recurring preservation, subpoena, warrant and service-provider questions into reusable investigator workflows and reference material.

Lesson learned

A technical tool is only part of implementation. Adoption improves when capability is paired with legal-process guidance, reusable documentation and a clear escalation path.

Source basis: verified career constants and private performance-review evidence. No claim is made that Troy founded the Electronic Crimes Unit or led the DCECTF.

“With the ECU training, Troy has become a subject matter expert with digital forensics and is a resource to his peers with electronic crime investigations.”

Source

2020 annual performance review

Supports

Digital-forensics expertise, peer enablement and trusted-advisor work

Related work

Electronic Crimes Unit and multi-agency digital-forensics assignment

Verified against a private personnel source; reviewer identity and personnel details withheld.

“A very thorough investigator.”

“Well prepared for prosecution.”

Source

2020 annual performance review

Supports

Quality control, defensible documentation and stakeholder-ready work product

Short exact excerpts preserve the source meaning while omitting reviewer identity.

Rated Exceeds Standards for both initiative and self-initiated work during non-demand time.

Source

2019 annual performance evaluation

Supports

Ownership, independent execution and intrinsic motivation

Verified against the original review form.

A 2019 review documented the goal of building a structured investigator resource folder. Troy later completed a repeatable package of preservation-request, administrative-subpoena, search-warrant, provider-guidance and related reference materials.

Supports

Workflow design, onboarding, enablement, scalable documentation and change management

Related work

Electronic-crimes investigator resource system

This is a source-verified paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

“Detective Hokanson's persistence, tenacity and hard work lead to a successful prosecution. This investigation also provided confidence in the Lakeville Police Department for a local business.”

Source

2019 written supervisory commendation

Supports

Persistence, evidence synthesis, successful prosecution and stakeholder confidence

The excerpt preserves the source wording; reviewer and case identifiers are withheld.

While assigned to patrol between investigative rotations, Troy self-initiated fraud-case follow-up through resolution rather than forwarding the initial report without additional work.

Source

December 2013 patrol-sergeant email commendation

Supports

Initiative, ownership outside formal assignment, investigative mindset and follow-through

Published as a paraphrase. No email headers, names, case number or unverified quotation are displayed.

“An outstanding job creating a computer matrix representation of a very complex residential burglary/forgery case.”

The source further noted that the matrix assisted investigators in piecing the cases together and supported charging presentation.

Supports

Structured analysis, data visualization, investigative collaboration and charging support

Verified against a written commendation; names and investigative identifiers withheld.

“In recognition of your initiative and actions demonstrating outstanding work to identify an organized criminal element performing fraud in the Twin Cities and bringing credibility to our Department.”

Supports

Initiative, pattern recognition, proactive planning and organizational credibility

Verified against a written commendation; reviewer and case identifiers withheld.

20+ written commendations received across Troy's law-enforcement career from police leadership, county attorneys, outside agencies and federal partners.

The aggregate count is a verified career fact. Only individually source-checked items are quoted on this page.

Digital evidence in a wire-fraud investigation

Troy removed the submitted computer hard drive and connected it through a write blocker. He created a bit-for-bit forensic image with FTK Imager, examined it with AccessData Forensic Toolkit (FTK) and Internet Evidence Finder, identified responsive artifacts and produced report media for the police investigation and Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau.

Skills demonstrated

Evidence preservation, forensic imaging, artifact analysis and investigative reporting

Source basis: primary forensic report, checked against the current verified career record. This summary describes Troy's examination work. Private case records and identifying information are withheld.

John Sperling Distinguished Faculty Award, 2024

Received the 2024 John Sperling Distinguished Faculty Award from the University of Phoenix. The university describes this as an annual program recognizing faculty based on performance.

Source

Official Credly transcript issued July 14, 2026; award issued April 19, 2024.

Evidence status

Verified award title, issuer and year; description paraphrased, not quoted.

Related experience

Remote adjunct criminal-justice teaching and adult-learning facilitation.

Last reviewed

September 16, 2026

Verified against the private official transcript. Personal identifiers and the original transcript are withheld. This evidence card is a self-published summary, not independent third-party verification.

Two-time Phoenix500 Faculty Excellence recipient and a Faculty of the Year nominee during 18 years of remote adjunct teaching.

Supports

Teaching quality, learner support, communication and sustained remote instruction

Related work

University of Phoenix adjunct faculty, 2007–2025

Award and nomination records verified; no selection rationale is inferred.