The data, collected from over 2,000 police chiefs, law enforcement managers, investigators, evidence examiners and prosecutors, illustrates the extent to which digital evidence, including – smart phones, laptops, social media, social networks, cryptocurrencies, closed-circuit security cameras, vehicles, and drones – create increasing challenges for law enforcement agencies. The research findings highlight the need for law enforcement agencies around the world to invest in digital forensics training for existing teams, to recruit additional technological experts to their teams, and to collaborate with software providers who are able to assist them in managing digital evidence more effectively.
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Here are some interesting findings from the study: 74% of law enforcement managers agree that there is a growing gap in technological skills in the police, which makes it even more difficult for the forces to collect, manage, analyze, store and use the digital evidence required to ensure prosecution. 48% of police chiefs and managers of law enforcement bodies believe that their digital transformation strategies are not good, or mediocre. 66% of the respondents agree that the digital evidence obtained from devices such as laptops, cell phones, disk-on-keys, and security cameras is more significant than physical evidence for deciphering crime cases. 51% of the evidence examiners agree that in the last year the number of digital devices from which it is necessary to extract evidence has increased. The average number of days investigators have to wait until receiving a report containing the information extracted from a device jumped from six days to nine days in the past year.