Anyone who’s walked a beat knows that digital technology is changing the nature of law enforcement and crime. More than two-thirds of all crimes result in the need for digital evidence to be lawfully collected. Smartphones are the most common source and you’ve probably seen this in your communities. This digital evidence is making law enforcement’s job more challenging:

These challenges put public safety at risk. Overcoming these challenges requires agencies to equip themselves with the tools and the training for digital transformation.

8 Steps to Digital Transformation

Modernize your investigative workflow and transform your investigative culture. Here’s how other smaller law enforcement agencies have made it happen.

Step 1: Do a self-evaluation

Document your agency’s challenges and goals. A digital intelligence expert can help with this process and match your goals to solutions.

Step 2: Obtain funding

Based on your needs, industry experts can help you build a case for funding from city and county leaders. One idea: Pool resources with several surrounding departments to purchase a basic solution package and training.

Step 3: Get the tools

A basic solution package can help jump-start modernization and allow your agency to:

  • Lawfully extract and access data from mobile devices
  • Uncover digital evidence, trace events, and examine digital data.
  • View in-depth forensic analysis, create reports, and share evidence.

Step 4: Choose trainees

Identify which officers and investigators in your department should learn how to use Digital Intelligence solutions.

Step 6: Create SOPs for the digital chain of evidence

Refine Standard Operating Procedures to ensure the digital chain of evidence is closely logged, just as it’s done for physical evidence like a gun.

Step 7: Monitor and record

Measure how tools and training are positively impacting the investigation process:

  • More cases solved
  • More prosecutions that stick

Step 8: Close the loop

Circle back with city or county leaders to show how Digital Intelligence solutions and training are improving investigations and keeping communities safer. Positive news strengthens arguments for future funding.

“We’ve had a number of cases where access to phone data has really sped up our investigations. Had we not had that information using Cellebrite, we would have spent weeks sending out search warrants to cellular and social media companies.”

– Officer Dustin Glass, Perrysburg Township Police Department

Radically shortening timeframes for investigations

The Perrysburg Township Police Department in Perrysburg, Ohio has 25 officers, including four detectives. The agency has adopted Cellebrite solutions to increase effectiveness and improve productivity.

Challenges

  • The small agency’s 25 officers were busy on the road with their own caseloads, limiting time for digital device analysis.
  • Detectives were forced to bring devices to neighboring agencies with a months-long backlog, that delayed positive case outcomes.

Solution

  • Perrysburg adopted Cellebrite UFED and Physical Analyzer to extract and analyze digital evidence from devices.
  • Officers received training from the National Computer Forensics Institute.
  • Data examination times were reduced from weeks to just hours or days.

Success Story

  • When a local big-box store reported several thefts of costly tools such as chainsaws, investigators found online ads for the items and issued search warrants.
  • Investigators recovered phones and used UFED and Physical Analyzer to collect and analyze data.
  • The digital evidence tied the suspects to the thefts; the thieves were prosecuted and found guilty.

Bridge the Public Safety Gap

Start closing gaps between force resources and the rise of digital evidence. Equip your agency with the tools and training needed to improve operational efficiency.

Cellebrite is here to help you plan the transformation of your agency’s investigative workflows. Contact us to get started.

To learn more about how Cellebrite’s experts can help expedite your department’s digital investigations,

Visit us at www.cellebrite.com

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