If your agency is looking for a more efficient way to manage digital evidence, you’re not alone. 

Disconnected tools and manual, time-consuming processes have left many struggling to keep up with the constantly growing amount of video and other digital evidence. 

To conquer this challenge, agencies are using intelligent, connected Digital Evidence Management Systems (DEMS). Modern DEMS not only simplifies management and security, it helps agencies do more without adding more staff or resources.

Here are the top time and cost-saving DEMS features to look for in a system:

• Manage video, files and other digital evidence in one place: An efficient Digital Evidence Management system can be used not only for bodycam and other video footage, but also audio files, images, and documents. This eliminates the hassle of jumping to different systems, improves data organization & accuracy, and saves time.

• Connect Evidence with Reports and Case Management: DEMS that works as one with Records Management (RMS) and Case Management helps officers build stronger reports faster. Officers can review the relevant BWC footage and auto attach it to their report, all from within RMS. Cases, reports and evidence stay in sync – there’s no need to enter case information twice!

• Redact an entire video in minutes: Redacting sensitive information like faces used to require hours of work by dedicated personnel. Now, agencies can use DEMS with built-in AI (Artificial Intelligence) to automatically detect and redact faces from every frame of video footage with just a click. FOIA requests are done faster, and agencies can ensure compliance without adding more staff. 

• Securely share Evidence with DAs and Prosecutors: Agencies can eliminate the cost and security risks that come with sharing evidence via thumb drives or CDs/DVDs. Cloud-based DEMS allows agencies to share evidence quickly using a secure link.

• Automate Evidence Retention: Intelligent DEMS includes retention settings that can be applied to different types of evidence based on agency and/or regulatory policy. This removes the time-consuming task of manually purging evidence and reduces the risk of accidentally deleting files that should be retained. Even once evidence is purged, agencies should ensure their DEMS software maintains an audit log for all the activities done. This lets staff know what digital evidence once existed while following local and state evidentiary retention guidelines. 

These are just a few examples of how DEMS when connected to a modern RMS can save time for officers, investigators, and records staff. Contact us to learn more about evidence management solutions for your agency.