DEMS confirms that agencies precisely gather and handle their case evidence, together with training and department policy that pursues best practices.
FREMONT, CA: The volume of digital evidence is too significant for departments to miss. Police administrators must train officers on addressing digital evidence, particularly recovering and studying surveillance footage. A police unit's virtual command center for handling all of its digital proof is a Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS). Agencies should contain a system to assemble, preserve, and handle digital evidence while heeding local laws, regulations, and best procedures.
Obliging and secure
A single copy of any file is a notable risk. It may be required to use backup copies if the storage system crashes or specific files evolve corrupt. Various geographic locations and storage systems should store two copies (three are chosen). Duplicative storage guarantees digital evidence is often backed up. Digital proof can be stored locally (on-premises), in the cloud, or both. DEMS gives individual and group entry to digital proof. Based on their role, police personnel has access to certain case types.
Scalable and agnostic storage
DEMS should be adaptable and integrate with distinct types of storage. Police departments may reserve evidence internally on Synology NAS devices, while bigger departments can utilize hybrid on-premises/cloud solutions. The DEMS should be scalable, so units can easily chain numerous storage choices or expand their storage capacity as required. Managing DEMS may turn terrifically costly yearly if vendors present locking it into their proprietary storage solutions. The exodus of digital evidence from a proprietary solution can also be hard and costly.
Options for deployment
Numerous DEMS solutions are web-based, while others are established on-premises. DEMS solutions that are comprehensive provide both options as part of their practicality. Evidence is uploaded and checked according to how the DEMS is executed. Desktop applications (installed on workstations) deliver deeper access to case proof and functionality for police administrators and detectives. The patrol officer may just have to upload digital evidence through a web-based interface from time to time. A DEMS that can access virtually anywhere within the organization's network is important for departments with exceeding a few officers, precincts, and substations scatter geographically. Agencies have infinite flexibility with DEMS solutions that present desktop applications and web-based choices.
