COMPLETE ONLINE DIGITAL EVIDENCE SYSTEM

Transcription

1 COMPLETE ONLINE DIGITAL EVIDENCE SYSTEM

2 Are you still entrusting critical evidence to flawed technology? Damovo CODES Cassettes are largely considered obsolete these days, due to the obvious limitations of their analogue format. So it may surprise many to learn that the criminal justice system still relies on this decades-old technology to capture crucial evidence from suspects and witnesses. They take up a lot of space some police forces are holding up to half a million tapes and the storage requirement for voice evidence recorded in custody is seven years; That solution is Damovo CODES. Secure evidential recording for the police, law enforcement and security services. Damovo CODES is a Complete Online Digital Evidence System, developed in response to failing analogue systems and the National Policing Improvement Agency s (NPIA) recommendations for replicable standards and best practice in ICT. authorised users throughout the police force and wider Criminal Justice System. that reduces the number of processes required to conduct interviews and ensures complete integrity of the entire process. The solution is also suitable for use by any authority that is required Vitally, CODES ensures compliance In some cases, tapes have to record evidence from a civil or with current and future Management to be copied or sent away for security services perspective and of Police Information (MoPI) transcription, increasing the risk we have already firmly established directives, along with the two new The recording capacity enforces a break in the interview process every of a data breach and delaying court proceedings. the technology in other public sector environments. Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) Codes of Practice, E and F. 45 minutes to change the cassette, It enhances the evidence management As analogue systems reach end CODES offers an efficient, secure 2 rather than the PACE requirement process from collection through to 3 of life, a digital, server-based platform for storage and delivery, of every 2 hours, resulting in secure storage and distribution to solution is widely accepted as the together with an intuitive workflow disruption and police downtime; way forward (a view endorsed by Tapes can only reside in one physical location, which leads to delays in retrieving recordings; a recent Home Office pilot). One that delivers cost savings to the police, the government and ultimately the taxpayer, as well as tangible Tapes are time-consuming to search efficiencies such as reducing the and the acoustic quality can degrade labour intensity of the processes through repeated use and copying; involved in evidence collection and management.

3 CODES in practice CODES benefits the incontrovertible evidence Damovo CODES is a flexible package of technologies designed to facilitate the investigative interviewing of suspects, victims and witnesses. The solution encompasses: voice and/or video recording equipment, including microphones and cameras an interview management console with either a touch screen or keyboard 4 5 Added mobility and flexibility intuitive software that s Training benefits straightforward to master server-based data storage for quick and easy retrieval with the option to add a Storage Area Network (SAN) if desired. Before the commencement of the interview, the Custody Number is entered via the management console. This is the unique identifier that enables the interview to be referenced to other supporting information and is the only piece of information an interviewing Officer needs to enter: additional metadata such as name and address can be obtained verbally during the interview and transcribed in the usual way. Once an interview has been conducted, the digital file is encrypted and uploaded to the server. The recordings and/or transcriptions can then be accessed by authenticated users at any time via a standard web browser using a secure HTTPS connection, with roles-based permissions forming an integral part of the application. Damovo CODES contains a powerful keyword search facility, which enables transcribed interviews to be indexed and attached to the original recording. This provides a highly accurate search capability that enables Officers to identify interviews based on words or phrases used during the interview. Video Audio Touch Screen Recorder SAN Court Transcription Solicitors Officer Cost savings Direct and indirect cost savings can be achieved through lower storage overheads and simplified workflows. Productivity gains Time spent on administrative tasks is reduced, enabling police staff to focus on frontline activities. Better judicial efficiency Interview recordings are available within minutes, providing users such as Officers, Clerks and Solicitors with quick role-based access to crucial evidence. Higher quality evidence The acoustic quality of digital recordings doesn t degrade with time or repeated playback. High quality video evidence can also be used in the wider Criminal Justice System, including during court proceedings where required. Speed of search All case-related digital information, including interview recordings, transcripts, photographs and other evidence can be easily integrated into an electronic case file. All metadata and the content of every transcript is indexed, enabling all data to be searched rapidly by keywords or phrases by police teams across the Service. Mobile teams can obtain statements and conduct interviews in the field with voice and video recordings being automatically uploaded to the server. Increases public confidence Full transparency and quick and easy access to all information can help to speed up the Criminal Justice System and inspire increased public confidence. No more tape changes With no need to change tapes every 45 minutes, interviews suffer fewer disruptions, restoring control of the process to the Officer. Live streaming Any location can be electronically connected to the interview room, giving teams in different locations access to live video and audio streaming. Recordings can be used for training, staff development and coaching purposes, helping officers achieve the professional standards required in suspect interviews. Environmental benefits Eliminating the need to distribute tapes will also contribute towards reducing carbon emissions.

4 Streamlining your operating processes Among the challenges facing any organisation in embracing new technology are those of realigning business processes to extract the full potential from the solution, and the need to mitigate any concerns that the new processes may not offer any improvements over the outgoing ones. The following illustration shows how the adoption of Damovo CODES can offer tangible productivity gains over conventional analogue methods without significant process upheaval by eliminating many of the steps typically required during a conventional interview. Conventional Analogue Tape Process Damovo CODES Process Tapes copied for Crown Prosecution Service Process eliminated Tapes copied for first hearing Prosecution files Process eliminated Tapes copied for Officers from outer stations (may need to attend Divisional HQ to collect copies). Access to tape library only available during office hours Conventional Analogue Tape Process Damovo CODES Process Tapes copied for case builders to listen to interview for disclosure Process eliminated Letters sent by defence requesting copy tapes read Process eliminated Blank tapes and seals ordered from suppliers, transported to Divisional Admin and stored Process eliminated Copy tapes posted to Officers or Defence Officer attends custody desk with suspect and obtains tapes and seal Officer attends custody desk 6 with suspect for interview Officers apply for copies/access to tapes for a variety of purposes 7 In interview room, Officer removes tapes from cover and loads tape machine Officer enters basic data and commences interview Officer completes details on seal Process eliminated Professional Standards Department Officers travel from HQ to Division to collect copy of taped interview Interview interrupted every 45 minutes for tape change Process eliminated At conclusion of interview, Officer fills in form, enters details on tape seal and obtains signatures from interviewee/solicitor At conclusion of interview, Officer completes form including unique identifying code Copies of tapes sent to HQ Solicitors department for civil claims Tapes boxed up for transfer to central storage Process eliminated Officer completes interview room register in custody Process eliminated Tapes collected daily from custody Process eliminated Tapes booked into administration system Process eliminated Tapes booked out to Transcriber Process eliminated Return of boxes of tapes from central store requested for archiving with Serious Crime files as necessary Central store visited for identification of tapes requiring destruction and witness/sign for. Process eliminated to request/confirm deletion of audio file from the storage server

5 Achieving best evidence now and in future Get an interviewing officer s eye-view of Damovo CODES It is anticipated that police forces will increasingly look to adopt video capability in future as part of their efforts to support achieving best evidence in criminal proceedings. Damovo CODES offers video capture in addition to audio recordings, enabling police forces to use voice-only for routine elements of the investigative process with video used on a discretionary basis, such as serious offences and for vulnerable witness or child interviews. The Damovo CODES platform has been designed to be open-ended in supporting future technologies and capabilities, such as body-worn video, head cams and CCTV. It also enables data to be tagged and associated with other evidence captured at the time of the incident. To see Damovo CODES in action and to help us understand your specific operational and financial drivers, we can host a consultative day (at no cost to you), either at your premises or at one of our office locations in Horsham, Warrington or Glasgow. However, to fully appreciate the benefits of Damovo CODES in action, we d like to invite you to visit our Police Interview room in Horsham. This facility has been created to reproduce a typical CODES installation in an interview room setting. You ll be able to see and hear the quality of the recording, and witness first-hand the unparalleled ease of use of the interface as well as the simplicity of the whole process. To arrange your consultation or to visit our Interview room, please contact us: Call: +44 (0) talktous@damovo.com Visit: 8 9

6 Working with Damovo Damovo - your assured partner Choose Damovo and you re getting the benefit of our deep domain expertise. Our CODES specialists have many years operational and strategic policy experience in the police service, so they understand how the application of technology can address the financial and operational challenges of today s policing. Damovo UK is a leading provider of Information Communication Technology solutions and services. In the UK alone, we have long term relationships with in excess of 600 organisations, representing over 600,000 end users across more than 5,000 sites. Our experienced team* will meet with you to scope out your requirements and construct a project plan, including physical installation of hardware in your custody or interview suite, physical installation of the server(s) and connections, and testing and commissioning of your new system. The user interface has been designed to be highly intuitive and easy to master, with little formal training required. Instead, we offer a train the trainer workshop that will equip designated super-users with the ability to cascade CODES best practice throughout your organisation. We have the highest levels of accreditation with leading vendors including Cisco, Microsoft, Aastra, Mitel and Extreme, so you can trust us to be at the forefront of technology and service delivery * Given the sensitive nature of the typical installation environment, all our engineers are security cleared (SC). Registered User We have a wealth of experience in the police and government security sectors and we are an accredited supplier under the Buying Solutions National Procurement framework for UK Public Services.

7 C O D E S Call: +44 (0) talktous@damovo.com Damovo UK Ltd Broadlands Business Park, Langhurstwood Road, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4QP Visit: Copyright 2008 Damovo UK. Damovo and the Damovo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United Kingdom and other countries. Damovo UK Limited, Broadlands Business Park, Langhurstwood Road, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4QP, Company Registration Number: