Beyond law enforcement: managing digital evidence

With upwards of 2.5 quintillion bytes of data being generated each day, the need for reliable and efficient data storage and management is more important than ever. This is especially true for policing, where over 80 per cent of the evidence collected is now digital.

 

As the number of data collection sources continues to grow alongside community calls for increased transparency, law enforcement has encountered a major challenge: how to manage large quantities of information, including files such as images, videos and social media posts, formal documents such as witness statements, and other forensic evidence such as internet search histories and location records.

 

The information needs to be stored securely of course. But it also needs to be found, searched, analysed, and prepared for use as evidence. This process, known as digital evidence management, is critical to the justice system but it also has many applications in public and industrial safety.

 

Digital evidence management

 

Perhaps the most well-known example of digital evidence management (DEM) is in the use of body-worn cameras by police officers. Implemented properly, they provide important protections for the community being policed, as well as auditable real-time video evidence for use in courts.

 

Advanced DEM systems do not just record video evidence however: they also protect police officers. For example, bodycam company Utility’s Eos™ camera records GPS positioning so that an officer’s location can be shared with police colleagues at all times. Real-time communications enable command centers and first responders to view live-streaming from bodycams, allowing them to assist officers with decision making in critical moments.

 

The system also allows back-up to be summoned automatically, for example when an officer enters the prone or “officer down” position. This feature can not only save officers’ lives, but has also been used to summon medical assistance in other instances of distress, for example, when a police officer got down on the ground to administer CPR to a toddler who had stopped breathing.

 

Utility’s bodycams are paired with the ROCKET^® in-car video system. This incorporates 360-degree video recording outside the vehicle, as well as real-time communications and GPS tracking.

 

For both bodycams and in-car video, smart functionality enables video recording to start automatically in stressful situations, such as when a firearm is drawn, when an officer is jostled or starts in pursuit of a suspect (enabled by accelerometers in the camera that record changes in speed), and even when a car door is opened (enabled by a door sensor). This functionality makes it easier for the officer to focus on the situation, rather than having to think about activating the camera.

 

Another benefit is that the responsibility for activating cameras is removed from officers, increasing transparency and helping to minimise bias and use-of-force issues. In addition, the footage is automatically uploaded to the cloud so that it is available to others as soon as they need it, as well as preserving an auditable, secure chain of custody should the footage be used in a courtroom. This automation needs to be based on pre-agreed policies where specific defined events, such as entering a geofenced area or a sudden rapid motion, act as triggers. Thoughtful planning is required to get this right.

 

Digital forensics outside policing

 

Automated video recording has enormous value in a police setting. But why does it matter outside frontline law enforcement? There are several other scenarios where body and vehicle camera systems have proved to be of great use.

 

Public safety

 

The most obvious is public safety. In a house fire or a traffic collision, the key requirement is speed of response. Cameras with built in GPS mean first-response dispatchers know exactly where emergency teams are located, helping to get them where they need to be faster, and providing subsequent back-up teams with detailed information while they are still on their way to the incident.

 

Utilities management

 

Another scenario is in the management of utilities such as gas, water and broadband. Here an efficient and safe response is what is required. Camera systems let incident controllers assess the situation and send the right specialist support teams. Those teams, observed by their managers, can be shown things that may not be obvious to them, providing them with information that helps them address the problem efficiently, while keeping safe at the same time.

 

Transport

 

Transport is another important use case. GPS tracking, speed records and incident reporting provide transport companies with key information for managing services. Real-time location reporting can be used to keep passengers, or customers of logistics companies, informed when delays occur. And video monitoring can be used to help keep the travelling public safe.

 

A by-product of such systems’ use in public transport systems is the provision of high-speed Wi-Fi on buses and trains. As well as enhanced security, travellers get fast and reliable connectivity on their way to and from work.

 

Prisons

 

In prisons, automated video technology means a record of officers’ everyday interactions with inmates can be created. Unusual events such as inmate checks, a prisoner refusing to eat, and riot response can also be automatically recorded for later scrutiny: this will be valuable for both legal and management purposes. In addition, automatic live video streaming and recording, such as when people enter and leave secure areas, can be a helpful way to reduce human error.

 

Importance of analysing digital evidence

 

Once digital information has been collected it must be analysed effectively, whether this is for law enforcement, public safety or business efficiency.

 

An effective media platform, such as Polaris by Utility, goes beyond providing a convenient method of storing digital content. For example, multiple camera angles or device feeds can be displayed at the same time, giving extra insight to analysts, as well as greater situational awareness to response teams while they are handling an incident.

 

Privacy is another important consideration, especially in a law enforcement context. Polaris provides smart redaction functionality which can automatically redact sensitive information such as the faces of minors or licence plates, enabling footage of incidents to be released to the public rapidly.

 

Digital platforms also help people find and categorise information. Recordings that are related in some way – for instance, happening at the same location or at the same time – can easily be grouped based on predefined conditions. Case management is facilitated, with the easy addition of digital files and an ability to relate one case to other cases that have similarities.

 

This is particularly important for criminal cases. For example, Utility’s Helios platform is a digital evidence management system for prosecution lawyers, enabling them to engage with digital evidence effectively by organising files from multiple sources into one unified view. Because Helios is technology agnostic, lawyers can quickly and efficiently upload and automatically ingest data from all agencies relevant to a case, regardless of that agency’s evidence management technology provider.

 

This type of data management technology creates a single place where lawyers can analyse digital media evidence with tools including media playback, time stamping, media conversion and collecting different files for case management purposes.

 

Digital evidence can be prepared for court, with AI-managed video and audio redaction available as well as transcription and translation tools. This type of system guarantees that all evidence is supported by a secure chain of custody with a complete audit trail of all files.

 

The future of digital evidence management

 

Digital technology continues to evolve, providing powerful new opportunities for the DEM industry. One such is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in incident data analysis. For example, images from one incident can be automatically analysed and relationships with other incidents established.

 

AI can be used to prioritise the increasing amount of digital information available, enabling law enforcement officers to find the evidence they need quickly. This avoids the danger of low-priority investigations being dropped entirely because of the difficulty of sifting through overwhelming amounts of potential evidence.

 

Digital technology is also evolving to provide cameras with new functionality such as collecting ultra-high-resolution images, measuring distances and elevation accurately, even recording scents.

 

With these improvements in technology, the efficient management of digital evidence will become ever more important across industry and society.

 

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For more information about smart bodycams and vehicle camera systems visit www.bodyworn.com