United States. A Case Study conducted at the University of Texas at Arlington in which Genetec Clearence technology was used to simplify campus police investigations.
Business Challenge
Offering a safe and dynamic campus is key to preparing the leaders of the relay generation. 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 close faster, the more than 40,000 students, faculty and staff stay focused on what matters most: achieving academic excellence.
The Many Steps to Handling Digital Evidence
Managing and sharing digital evidence is time-consuming. When an incident occurs at the UTA, case details are added to the Records Management System (RMS). The assigned investigator must then create a file folder with the case number and can begin compiling the digital evidence.
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Previously, it was a step-by-step process. The investigator downloaded the recordings from the video surveillance systems and cameras in the vehicles. It also collected images from students' smartphones, screenshots from social media platforms, and external audio or video recordings saved on USB drives. Each file was then uploaded to the folder.
When the District Attorney or the Public Records Office requested evidence, the investigator converted the files to the required formats and uploaded them to secure shared sites. To maintain an adequate chain of custody, only the assigned investigator managed the tasks from start to finish.
Accumulating all this evidence ultimately led to storage problems. The University efficiently managed video surveillance and intrusion detection systems within the Genetec Security Center platform, and had plans to keep adding more cameras.
Max Kidd, Associate Director of Technology for the UTA Police Department, explained: "In some cases, we keep evidence indefinitely. Over time, that evidence accumulates and the need for more storage becomes increasingly difficult to manage and afford."
It was an easy decision: UTA was ready to test Genetec Clearance™, the collaborative research management. The cloud-based solution could save researchers time by enabling collaboration and reducing on-premises storage for long-term stored evidence.
Less time spent managing digital evidence
Today, Genetec Clearance is doing what it promised: helping UTA simplify the administration of evidence and investigations. According to Kidd: "Our staff saves 25% of their time handling evidence and that frees them from burdens so they can perform other tasks during investigations."
Learn more about Genetec Clearence technology.
University security guards and police officers can now help investigators gather evidence. They search for video recordings on the Security Center platform and quickly add them to the case file in the new system. Specific privileges are assigned to multiple users, so that the principal investigators retain control. The system also provides audit trails, ensuring that the proper chain of custody is maintained.
"We are pleased to have the option to grant certain people read-only rights or set user permissions. It's also much easier to track who's viewing, downloading, or editing evidence. If we ever need it, the detailed record is visible in the case file," Kidd said.
The solution's automatic file format conversion helps UTA save even more time. "Outside agencies often want us to upload evidence to external sites in a specific format. Genetec Clearance now automatically converts these files for us, which makes all versions easily accessible and traceable in the case file," Kidd explained.
Evidence that is safe and easy to find
The search for stored evidence has also been simplified. All cases can be tagged with keywords. This may include words that describe the nature of the case such as "theft," "CBED (Driving Under the Influence of Drugs)," or any relevant labels such as "blue shirt" or "library." These keywords help officers quickly locate files without having to remember the case number.
Knowing that the cloud-based case management system is secure provides additional peace of mind. According to Kidd, "Genetec Clearance keeps the evidence in order. The evidence is not tied to our entire department's file storage, so there are fewer concerns of file corruption or ransomware."
Moving into the future with Genetec Clearance
After making many benefits, UTA is now ready for the full transition to Genetec Clearance. With this action, they expect to free up about 75% of their total storage capacity, which is currently allocated to long-term files. In the future, staff want to integrate more systems with Genetec Clearance and facilitate collaboration with external agencies to save even more time.
"Genetec Clearance is a research management solution that is constantly evolving to make processes more efficient and our tasks easier. And soon, we won't have to micro manage storage anymore. This means our staff can focus on what really matters: creating a safe and dynamic campus at UTA," concluded Kidd.
"Genetec Clearance is a research management solution that is constantly evolving to make processes more efficient and our tasks easier. And soon, we won't have to micro manage storage anymore. This means our staff can focus on what matters most: creating a safe and dynamic campus at UTA."
Learn more about Genetec Clearence technology.
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