Authored by: Kevin Kowalkowski
Today’s court systems weren’t designed to handle the overwhelming volume of evidence moving through them. Digital evidence now plays a role in roughly 90% of criminal cases, and as investigations increasingly rely on it, legacy systems are buckling under the pressure.
At the same time, rising caseloads are making matters worse. Over the past 20 years, the number of pending civil cases lasting more than three years has jumped by 346%. As courts work to keep pace, the need for a simpler, more efficient way to manage digital evidence is becoming urgent—not only to preserve the integrity of the chain of custody but also to improve efficiency and support growing caseloads.
Where Agencies Struggle the Most
In the real world, without a strong tracking system, things get misplaced. For example, when you’re doing laundry, why does that second sock always go missing? It’s not exactly the same thing, but it’s far too easy for evidence to get misplaced if there isn’t a structured system in place.
Smaller agencies can be especially vulnerable if they aren’t using the right tools to manage digital evidence. Many still haven’t implemented a full solution and rely on ad hoc processes and paper logs. In these environments, mistakes and confusion are very possible.
One common issue occurs when multiple team members need the same piece of evidence. If the person who used it forgets to return it, others are left wondering where it went. This situation can stall proceedings, hurt collaboration, and prevent access to critical evidence at key moments.
Capturing evidence at the point of origin, which means uploading it right away and putting it into an evidence management system, means it’s stored permanently. Multiple people can access it at the same time. You can see who is looking at it and what they’re doing with it. The system keeps the file in place and generates a clear audit trail.
How to Strengthen Your Chain of Custody
A modern evidence management system reduces risks around chain-of-custody issues by shifting control from teams to a centralized, secure solution. When teams uploaddigital evidence, the s ystem locks it down immediately; keeps it accessible only to approved users; and prevents deletions, alterations, or overwrites.
For example, we have a state agency that uses our evidence management system across all its courts in the entire state. With proper permissions, a user can easily view any case with a few clicks. That evidence is also usable. If you need to stream it in the courtroom, you can bring it up on your website, find the case, and click on the video. It streams just like you’re watching a video on YouTube.
In other words, you don’t have to hunt down a specialized video player for digital evidence, which can be frustrating and time-consuming.
The First Step Toward Improvement
For teams still relying on manual processes to manage their evidence, the first step is understanding the full scope of the challenge. How many cases are currently open? How many pieces of digital evidence are scattered across physical locations? And what would happen if someone lost a critical piece of evidence or damage occurred to a storage facility?
Once you answer these questions, you’ll clearly see the cost of staying on the same path. While it’s true that implementing a digital solution requires an investment, the risks of sticking with manual methods are often much greater.
Of course, there is also the question of future readiness. As the volume and variety of digital evidence continue to grow, systems that were once considered good enough can quickly fall short. Taking steps to manage this challenge now can help you stay ahead of whatever comes next.
Do you want to learn how other agencies are solving these problems? Get in touch; we can help.