Managing digital evidence on campus
Managing and sharing digital evidence is time-consuming. That’s why campus police at the University of Texas at Arlington recently implemented Genetec Clearance. The digital evidence management system not only saves investigators time, but also reduces onsite storage for long-term evidence.
The company
Offering a safe and vibrant campus is key in preparing next-generation leaders. That’s why the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) handles every incident on its 420-acre campus, as quickly as possible. Campus police know that when cases are closed faster, the more than 40,000 students, faculty, and staff stay focused on what’s most important—achieving academic excellence.
The challenge
When an incident happens at UTA, case details are added to the Records Management System (RMS). Then, the assigned investigator creates a file folder with the case number, and begins compiling digital evidence. In the past, it was a step-by-step process, where each file was uploaded into the folder. It was a time-consuming process, and accumulating all this evidence led to storage concerns.
The solution
Controlled access to evidence
Privileges are assigned to various users, so that lead investigators remain in control. The system also provides audit trails, ensuring that the proper chain of custody is upheld.
Easy sharing with outside agencies
Sharing specific file formats with external agencies is easier. “Genetec Clearance automatically converts the files for us now, making all versions accessible in the case file,” said Kidd.
Simplified evidence searches
Every case can be tagged with keywords such as “theft”, “DWI”, or “library”. These keywords help officers quickly locate files without having to remember the case number.
Efficient and secure cloud storage
UTA is ready to fully transition to Genetec Clearance. With this move, they hope to free up about 75% of their total storage capacity which is currently allocated to long-term archives.
“Our team is saving 25% of time handling evidence, and that frees them up to do other tasks during investigations.”
Maxx Kidd, Associate Director of Technology, UTA Police Department
Results
Today, Genetec Clearance is doing what it promised— helping UTA streamline evidence and investigation management. The cloud-based solution saves investigators time by enabling collaboration and reduces onsite storage for long-term evidence. For example, University public safety officers and police officers can now help investigators compile evidence. They search for video recordings in the Security Center platform and quickly add it to the case file in the new system.
UTA likes having the option of giving certain people “view only” rights or setting user permissions. They can track who is viewing or editing evidence through a log in the case file. Knowing the cloud-based case management system is secure offers extra peace-of-mind. According to Kidd, “Genetec Clearance keeps the evidence clean. It’s not tied to our entire department’s file storage, so there are fewer worries of file corruption or ransomware.”