The volume of digital evidence from sources like body cams, mobile devices, and surveillance feeds is growing at a breakneck pace for law enforcement.
The task of managing, reviewing, and sharing that flood of data with traditional tools has simply become unworkable. Digital evidence software is stepping in to meet the challenge, offering a smarter way to organize and access files, streamline workflows, and support faster case resolution.
These platforms are transforming how evidence is handled, from automated tagging and secure cloud storage to integrated case timelines and audit trails. As a result, departments across the country, from small-town forces to large metro agencies, are making the move.
The Digital Evidence Overload
Law enforcement agencies are managing more digital content than ever before. In a 2024 survey, 97% of federal forensic examiners said smartphones are involved in almost every investigation today.
It only becomes more complicated from there. In fact, just one patrol officer using both a body camera and dashcam can generate up to 224 gigabytes of video per month, totaling more than 11 terabytes per year. Traditional storage methods like USB drives and shared servers simply can’t handle the volume being generated.
Reviewing and organizing that material manually adds pressure to already overburdened investigative teams. Without modern tools, evidence can become disorganized, hard to access, or vulnerable to delays during prosecution. These issues affect both efficiency and outcomes.
Casework Bottlenecks Are Growing
With the wave of digital evidence being generated, investigators are spending more time reviewing footage and less time focusing on fieldwork.
With so many files to sort, label, redact, and submit, agencies are facing slowdowns that extend beyond individual cases. As backlogs continue to grow, departments are forced to shift resources toward administrative tasks, leading to overtime, burnout, and strained budgets.
Digital evidence software addresses these challenges directly by centralizing and streamlining how files are stored, accessed, and reviewed. These platforms help agencies maintain control over growing volumes of content without slowing down investigations.
With these solutions in place, cases move forward faster, staff workloads become more manageable, and time spent on repetitive tasks is reduced.
Flexible Storage and Field Access
Moving evidence management to cloud-based platforms gives agencies flexibility that older systems just can’t match.
With scalable storage and web-based access, officers and investigators can upload, review, and share files from anywhere. Teams can work together more easily, keep better records, and avoid problems like running out of storage or being tied to one location for access.
Instead of relying on local servers or portable devices, digital evidence software keeps everything in one place with built-in backup and redundancy. The result is a more responsive system that supports modern casework without requiring significant in-house IT infrastructure.
Security and Compliance Without the Guesswork
Public safety data often has strict requirements around factors such as access, privacy, usage, and retention. To meet strict legal and operational standards, digital evidence systems include encryption, user access controls, and detailed audit trails.
Agencies no longer need to build these types of protections from scratch; they’re integrated into the software and managed through consistent, automated processes.
Secure cloud environments used by many platforms are designed to align with federal and state-level compliance frameworks, giving departments confidence that sensitive evidence is protected without creating unnecessary complexity for users.
Accountability and Transparency Built In
Handling digital evidence is about more than just storage; public records requests, legal reviews, and internal audits all depend on accurate records of how evidence was collected, edited, and shared.
Modern software platforms create a clear trail of activity, tracking every view, redaction, and export that’s made. These tools make it easier for departments to track usage, enforce accountability, and fulfill information requests quickly.
Tools that simplify redaction, automate notifications, or allow direct community uploads also reduce administrative overhead while strengthening public trust. Agencies are able to manage their evidence more cleanly and present it much more professionally.
Automation Eases the Workload
With the help of automation and AI, digital evidence software now supports faster evidence review and documentation.
Common tasks, including transcription, tagging, and file categorization, can all be handled more efficiently, freeing up staff to focus on judgment-based work. These features don’t replace human oversight; they assist it, reducing the time required to complete routine parts of the process.
The result is a more streamlined workflow that helps cases progress without unnecessary delays, while also allowing departments to make better use of their limited staffing.
Greater Support for Modernization
Agencies that are concerned about budget limitations actually have more options than they might initially expect.
Funding programs at the state and federal levels are increasingly structured to support digital modernization in law enforcement. These initiatives can cover equipment, software, training, and even integration with existing systems, giving agencies a practical path to upgrade.
Digital evidence software isn’t just for large departments with deep resources. Cloud-based delivery, modular features, and grant opportunities have made these platforms accessible to agencies of all sizes.
Preparing for the Future of Policing
The state of law enforcement is constantly evolving, and evidence management must evolve with it. The shift to digital workflows is helping agencies cut down on their case backlogs, protect sensitive material, and operate with greater speed and precision.
With ongoing tech advances, capabilities such as auto-summary and live data analysis are set to become the norm. Agencies that invest now are laying the groundwork for systems that will support them long-term.
The Shift to Smarter Evidence Management Has Already Begun
Agencies across the country are moving toward digital evidence software because the demands of modern policing require faster, smarter, and more connected tools.
At CPI OpenFox, we’ve spent decades building information-sharing tools that meet the specific needs of law enforcement. Our solutions are designed to support real-world workflows, reduce the burden on investigators, and help agencies stay ahead of the growing volume of digital evidence.
If your agency is ready to improve how it manages and shares digital evidence, we’re ready to help. Contact CPI OpenFox to schedule a consultation, speak directly with our team at 1-(630)-547-3679, email us at sales@openfox.com, or connect through our website’s contact form to get started.
