Something as simple as a traffic accident, can absorb an undue amount officer and prosecutor time, when they have to “make the case” for court. A digital evidence management system designed professionally, as opposed to an afterthought system to sell video equipment, can bring all the pieces of critical evidence together in one place.
At the Incident Scene
The officer responds to the scene of a typical traffic accident at an intersection. The officer arrives on the scene, and with his in-car camera recording starts collecting data, 1 digital evidence file. He gets out and turns his body worn camera on, another digital file. He takes 13 digital images of the accident scene, 13 more files. This officer has a digital voice recorder and records three interviews from two drivers and a witness. That is 3 more files. The department allows smart phone use so the officer video records the cycle of the traffic light to show it was operating correctly, 1 more file. Finally, he is required to submit an electronic report, yes, one more file.
Evidence is Stored in Silos
In total the officer has produced a total of 210 digital evidence files. Now, where are these files typically stored?
• In-car Camera – In the manufacturer’s in-car camera database
• Body Worn Camera – In the manufacturer’s body worn camera database
• SLR Digital Images – On CD/DVD in the property room or on a server somewhere
• Digital Voice Recording – In the officer’s case file; the department doesn’t track it
• Smart Phone Video – Maybe on a DVD in the Property Room
• Electronic Report – Submitted to the department but the officer has a copy for his case
• Physical evidence – Submitted to the property and evidence room
It’s Tough Preparing for Court
Now 30 days have gone by and the officer is getting ready for court. He needs access to the files so he can present his case. Where does he go? As you can see, he will be contacting many people to pull this simple traffic accident case together. He will have to get with the administrator for the video, the Property Room for the images, his case file for the digital interviews, you get the picture. Now let’s say the officer works the midnight shift when the in-car camera and body worn camera administrator and Property Room staff are not working. What do you do, how do you manage this, pay the officer overtime to come in during the day to prep for court?
Can Court Preparation be Made Simpler?
The answer is, yes. A true digital evidence management system or DEMS, such as QueTel’s Digital TraQ can store or access all of the files that are uploaded to the software with a full chain of custody attached, to save valuable time. Digital TraQ is web based and can be accessed from any computer with the proper permissions. The officer can simply query the case number and have all his digital evidence at his fingertips at any time of the day or night. No more waiting for the Property Room to open in the morning or tracking down the in-car camera administrator or body worn camera administrator to get a copy to review. As for the digital voice interviews, now you have a full chain of custody on all digital evidence files, they are not just sitting in the officers file waiting to be questioned by the defense attorney. You have also provided a cost effective means for the officer to conduct his case management and most importantly prepare of court.
Other benefits to having all the digital evidence in one place that, is that the prosecutor can also review the case. By granting the prosecutor the ability to view the digital evidence, he/she can review the case with the officer remotely. It reduces the time spent in pre-prosecution meetings, the time to make copies of CD’s and DVD’s, printing images that may or may not be used in court, and the big one, it saves staff time.
About QueTel:
QueTel’s software saves time and increases accountability for law enforcement agencies. The TraQ Suite family of applications encompasses evidence management, digital evidence management (including redacation), forensic laboratory management (LIMS), and quartermaster inventory. For 25 years, we have served agencies with implementation services, consulting, and, recently, BWC video redaction services.