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Body-worn cameras. Smartphone video and photographs. Field interviews. In-car cameras. Texts and emails. In the modern age of law enforcement, there’s an overwhelming amount of digital evidence connected to just about every incident. This makes the need for a comprehensive digital evidence management system (DEMS) more important than ever.
Since 2008, Axon Evidence has been leading the pack. A DEMS designed specifically for the demands of modern policing, Axon Evidence breaks down data silos and unifies digital evidence under a single ecosystem. Axon is the leader in the space because we continue to innovate and develop new features to meet the growing demands of digital evidence management.
Our latest feature dramatically improves the process of finding the right evidence: Transcript Keyword Search.
A smarter way to search
Imagine this: You want to double-check some video footage to get additional context for witness testimony, but you don’t remember exactly which file you’re looking for. In the past, you could narrow down evidence by ID, User, Date, and more, but there might be times when hundreds of files are returned, or when evidence is tagged incorrectly. This can turn what should be a quick search into an hours-long process.
That’s why Axon created a smarter way to sift through evidence. Now, instead of simply searching for a file, you can go right to the key information within that file via Transcript Keyword Search. As Axon Senior Product Manager II Dan Hecht put it, it’s the difference between “searching evidence metadata and searching within evidence.”
“Evidence reviewers often have to watch dozens of videos and listen to many hours of audio recordings to find the key moments that can make or break an investigation,” Hecht said. “And you might not necessarily know when important events occur based only on police reports. So finding key moments within evidence quickly is a really big problem that we're trying to solve.”
Available now for all Axon customers with Unlimited Auto-Transcribe, this enhanced search functionality utilizes audio transcriptions to find not just the right file, but “jump you to the right moment within the evidence,” as Hecht put it.
This also works hand-in-hand with the Audio Redact via Transcript feature. “Let's say someone mentions a confidential informant's name or an address or some personal identifiable piece of information. If you have a lot of different pieces of evidence, you can search across them for when a specific address was said, for example, and easily redact that information before sharing to the public.”
While Axon Evidence already automatically redacted identifying markers in video files, this takes its utility to the next level. Audio Redact via Transcript streamlines the process of redacting audio files by providing transcripts for officers and administrators to review. They can quickly search for sensitive information and make redactions from the audio file with a simple click in the transcript. The redacted file can then be easily exported and shared with other authorized Axon Evidence users.
Naturally, Axon Evidence’s search function continues to respect permissions and restrict access where necessary. That means those who search will only get results from videos and transcripts they’re allowed to access.
Hecht envisions a number of use cases where this smarter search functionality would come in handy. Supervisors can search for escalating language in the case of disputes to see whether it came from an officer or community member. Attorneys can leverage the functionality when preparing for cases. Media Disclosure Technicians can easily search for sensitive audio that needs to be redacted. And Officers can search for keywords they remember suspects saying to provide additional context when writing reports or advancing an investigation.
According to Hecht, this is just the beginning; Axon Evidence’s search function is going to continue to get smarter in the coming months and years to better serve its users. That’s what makes Axon Evidence the heart of the Axon ecosystem – it’s a singular solution that ties all aspects of evidence management together and allows agencies to do more with less.
Getting started with Axon Evidence
If your agency is searching for a comprehensive DEMS that can handle your busy workload, Axon is here to help. To learn more about how Axon Evidence can help break down data silos and unearth new insights, get in touch.
Click here to download our 2024 Digital Evidence Trends Report.