There is so much data, however, that without an effective and centralised way to manage it, evidence can slip through the cracks and crimes can take longer to get solved.
In today’s age, digital evidence is everywhere. Nearly every person holds a smartphone with recording capabilities, CCTV cameras cover the day-to-day of busy streets, and body-worn video cameras document public interactions. We are living in an unprecedented time of transparency and accountability boosted by digital evidence. There is so much data, however, that without an effective and centralised way to manage it, evidence can slip through the cracks and crimes can take longer to get solved.
This is where Digital Evidence Management Systems can come in to play. Police forces must get ahead of this tidal wave of data – from endless sources – so that it can be used most effectively.
What is a Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS)?
A DEMS (also called DAMS, or Digital Asset Management System) is the virtual hub for management of all digital forms of evidence in a police force, from collection to the court room. From CCTV footage to Digital Interviews to smartphone videos from the public, a DEMS is a reliable place to store and link first- and third-party data. DEMS allow police forces to maintain chain of custody and audit trails over all evidence to make sure evidence remains unaltered. Users can tag and organise videos and share evidence with the relevant authorities, such as the Crown Prosecution Service.
This is the most essential definition of a DEMS, but in reality, a DEMS should be ever-evolving to the changing needs of policing. Pouring energy, effort and resources into a large-scale technology project like a DEMS rollout can be a risky endeavour if the system isn’t future-proofed — like buying a new smartphone only for an improved model to be announced the next day. With a scalable, cloud-based model, a DEMS grows with your force rather than being obsoleted in the short-term. Storing and managing evidence in the cloud means that updates, releases, and new features can be implemented with the click of a button.
How do police forces use DEMS, and how can that help investigate and solve crime?
Though many forces in the UK use a force-wide DEMS, some do not. Forces that do not currently use a DEMS risk managing evidence in a non-centralised, siloed fashion, with different types of files shared back and forth via email, storage drives, or saved to hard media.
In a world where the evidence coming in can make or break a case, it is imperative that it is securely managed. Investigations can also be resolved more quickly with efficient processes for managing the data and evidence.
Evidence can become corrupted, separated from other relevant files, or quite simply time-consuming to manage. Like trying infinite keywords to search for an elusive email or digging through a messy drawer, a decentralised system adds extra time and headaches in every step of managing evidence.
On the other hand, rather than separating different files types in hard formats, forces can use a DEMS to link relevant evidence together for a more efficient investigation. With the right DEMS to suit their needs, forces can share evidence electronically with needed parties, and rip time out of manual processes with ingestion, playback, and search functions. This gets evidence into the right hands faster.
In a world where the evidence coming in can make or break a case, it is imperative that it is securely managed. Investigations can also be resolved more quickly with efficient processes for managing the data and evidence.
What should my force look for in a DEMS?
The goal with a DEMS is not only for it to be easy to use, but for it to perform all the functions for truly effective digital evidence management seamlessly. After all, your software needs to work for you – not the other way round.
Ask yourself these questions when evaluating a DEMS:
- What evidence management tools will be at my disposal?
Beyond easy uploading, tagging, and sharing, a DEMS should make every part of the evidence management process more efficient. Advanced AI-powered redaction and transcription can save investigators hours of time. With these tools, investigators simply have to check for accuracy and make minor corrections rather than spending tedious hours manually preparing evidence. See if a DEMS goes beyond the basics and offers a full toolset.
- How does this DEMS interoperate with other systems?
A DEMS should integrate with and manage evidence from everything – your force’s body-worn video cameras, CAD and RMS, digital interview systems, and call recordings with its API integrations. Ensure your DEMS has this interoperability and isn’t a walled garden, locking you into one provider for everything.
- How does the evidence stay secure?
Security is high priority in any digital evidence management system given the sensitive nature of the data. A good sign that a DEMS prioritises safety of the data it stores is that it has key security certifications, such as ISO 27001. Set retention policies as well as configurable permissions and access also help to keep a DEMS reliably secure and protect the important media stored within it.
- What would be the return on investment (ROI) for this system at my force?
With an interoperable system, you can boost your efficiencies and ROI throughout every part of your force’s tech stack. Look for a DEMS that is purpose-built for policing by a public safety technology company so that new features are meant for your actual needs. Future-proof your organisation from the beginning by making sure you can add software features and hardware over time and strengthen your network.
Of course, beyond all this, a DEMS should be simple to use. Look for a DEMS with a straightforward user experience, where maintaining accuracy and efficiency in tagging and sharing workflows will not be difficult to achieve. Essentially, the DEMS should be capable of handling a high volume of evidence management workflows, but never feel like a puzzle to work effectively.
Your DEMS shouldn’t just check the boxes — it should deliver the end-to-end approach you need to capture, manage, and investigate efficiently.
To learn more about a comprehensive DEMS that could suit your force’s needs, check out Axon Evidence here and get in touch via the contact form – we’d love to hear from you.
Axon Investigate Webinar 17th November
Ever had a piece of evidence become unrecognisable when converted, or grappled with thousands of different video formats during investigations? Axon Investigate, part of the broader ecosystem of Axon Evidence, helps transform your digital forensics workflows by resolving common video evidence playback and management challenges and empowering you with actionable intelligence.
We are holding a launch webinar on Thursday, 17 November at 15:00 GMT to dive deeper on the product and how it can make video forensics simpler, faster, and more accurate. You can register for the webinar and mark your diary here.
