How innovative forces are automating video collection and redaction
The significance of video evidence in criminal investigations, remand decisions, and prosecutions cannot be overstated.
The College of Policing’s Authorised Policing Practice, the official source of professional practice for policing that provides guidance on many topics, affirms this, stating: “CCTV allows evidence to be presented in a unique way, letting the courts and jurors visualise aspects of the crime being described. Studies into outcomes using CCTV evidence demonstrate its importance and its direct benefits to crime investigation and achieving justice outcomes.”
Estimates suggest that there are approximately 7.5 million CCTV cameras in the UK. However, video footage used for investigating and prosecuting crimes now comes from a variety of other technologies as well. These include body-worn cameras, dashcams, video doorbells, mobile devices, and even drones. Currently, one in five homeowners in the UK has a video doorbell, and there are 85 million mobile phone subscriptions, which surpasses the entire UK population by 18 million! The scale of opportunities and challenges presented by these video sources for investigations and prosecutions is enormous.
Gathering video evidence requires significant time and resources. In the past, investigators often had to log into multiple systems, visit witnesses at home, or travel long distances to collect CCTV footage for their investigations.
But that was then, this is now.
Today, police investigators can obtain much of their video evidence through Digital Evidence Management Systems without needing to step outside of the office.
Thanks to the widespread adoption of Digital Evidence Management Systems, police forces in the UK can operate more effectively and efficiently. For instance, instead of traveling long distances to secure CCTV, an officer can access the DEMs’ online community portal and make direct requests for footage from registered businesses or private citizens. When a request is made, the individual or business can easily and securely upload their video into the DEMs. The system automatically places the video into the appropriate digital case file, and converts it into a playable format ready for viewing.
Although these technological innovations have significantly improved officer efficiency, there are still additional benefits to be achieved. One area in particular that law enforcement agencies are seeking to enhance is the video redaction process.
Video evidence can be incredibly powerful, but it often needs to be redacted before it can be used and shared. In the UK, for example, police are required to redact sensitive information from video footage before submitting it as evidence. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) necessitates that officials redact any video that contains personally identifiable information (PII) in order to protect individuals' identities and sensitive information from unauthorised viewers. PII can include items such as vehicle number plates and faces. Importantly, any evidence submitted must pass the ‘Disclosure Test’ to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act.
To complicate matters, this video may sometimes be needed quickly, such as before a suspect interview or debriefing.
Redacting video can be a time-consuming and complex process. Often, it requires specialised tools or the assistance of other units or external organisations.
The difficulty of redaction can vary based on the scale of the task, the skill level of the person performing it, and the limitations of the editing tools available, which are frequently basic. As a result, redaction can become a cumbersome challenge.
In its ‘The State of Policing: The Annual Assessment of Policing in England and Wales 2023’, HMICFRS (His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) points to ‘substantial efficiency savings’ that can achieved by automating the redaction process. The report recommends that, “All forces should accelerate their adoption of these technologies and use the solutions already available where possible, rather than developing their own.”
NICE Investigate digital evidence management software significantly improves the automation and efficiency of redaction processes. Its AI-powered redaction tool streamlines the task of redacting video and audio content by automatically identifying and redacting common elements, such as faces and vehicle number plates, in CCTV and body-worn camera footage. This makes redaction quick and easy.
Surrey Police is one force benefitting this capability. In its June 2023 Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Strategy update, it stated, “Following an upgrade to version 2.0 of NICE investigate, Surrey Police now has improved video redaction capabilities, including automatic face detection, enabling officers to save time when redacting evidence. The Force is forecasting for further redaction improvements throughout the year.”
Automated redaction offers an impressive advantage in that it extends beyond just video content. Thanks to the indexing capabilities of Digital Evidence Management Systems and the power of artificial intelligence, investigators can automate the redaction of many different types of materials.
For example, when preparing evidence for use in a case, an investigator can simply enter a search term (a word or phrase) once, and the system will automatically redact that information from every piece of evidence collected, including documents, reports, audio recordings, and videos.
For instance, if a minor is involved in a case (as either a witness or a victim), and their name is entered into the redaction tool, it will be automatically removed from all related evidence.
The DEMs system retains the redacted versions as separate files, while also preserving the original documents for reference.
