b'Abrams,whooncesaid,Whenmakethetoolmoreeffective,andminutesonthereportingofdigital eating an elephant, take one bite atproviding advice as to how trainingevidence.Additionally,70percent a time. could be rolled out as more individualsof officers reported that it was easier The first challenge tackled underin the agency test the prototypes. Thetogetwitnessesand/orvictimsto the auspices of the MOU was anothertool that has been developed is nowconsent to providing digital evidence attempt at developing a tool to allowknownasMagnetSHIELD.Thetoolwith the tool.front-line officers and investigators tohas helped police services modernizeTheoverarchinglessonfromthe collect digital evidence in the field.and improve their service levels withexperienceofco-developingSHIELD After a series of interviews and focustheir communities. The early resultshas been that the partnership brought groups, it was deemed that such ahave been positive. together two mission-oriented organ-toolcouldhaveitsgreatestimpactEarly Successes izations whose leaders are focused on on the organization if it was focusedthe same challenge. The structure of on digital evidence emanating fromOne of the first used cases of SHIELDthe partnership allows the develop-witnesses and victims. The tool waswasatalargefestivalwhereanmenttonotonlyaddressthecore focused on capturing digital evidenceassaultoccurred.Thepatrolofficertechnicalchallenge,buttoantici-such as text messages, social mediadispatchedwasabletocapturea information, pictures, and video foot- videoofthesuspectfleeingfrompatedownstreamimplicationslike age from mobile phones, dashcamsthe victims phone. They were ableensuringarepeatableandefficient and CCTV systems. Paramount amongto create a report for the prosecutorofficer workflow.the requirements was that the toolon the scene within minutes. I gotUnliketraditionalprocurement, had to be simple, with an intuitiveeverything I needed to support thepartnerships are key to finding solu-interface and workflow with limitedcasewastheofficersimmediatetionstothetechnologychallenges trainingrequirements.WorkflowreactionafterusingSHIELDforthefacedbythepolicingprofession. functionslikeembeddingthewit- first time. Software-basedsolutionsrequire nessorvictimsconsentrightonAnother early use case pertainedhighlyiterative,agiledevelopment the device reduced the overall timeto a domestic dispute. A patrol officerprocessesandregularfeedback and costs associated with collectingwas dispatched to a call for serviceloops. Private partners not committed digital evidence in the field. whereavictimhadthreateningto the overall mission often thrive in Afteraseriesofadditionalcon- messages on their smartphone. Thethe short-term by billing their clients sultations, features were developedofficer stated, It saved a lot of timeforeveryindividualdevelopment. for specific case types such as humanand allowed us to have that evidenceApartnerseesadifferentroute trafficking,barandnightclubinci- for the show cause, where traditionaltofinancialsustainability.Ifdone dentsandchildbullyingcases.Themethods would not have allowed usthoughtfullyandmethodically,such feedback loops have been tight, withto be that prepared. software solutions can ultimately be WRPS identifying features that couldexported globally.SHIELDhasbeensuccessfully usedinthefieldonanumberofThesuccessfulinnovationofthis challenge coins different types of calls for service andexperiencegoeswellbeyonda investigations such as illicit materialsimple tool that allows an officer to being traded at a school, traffic callscapture digital evidence in the field wherebystandersgetpicturesandfrom witnesses and victims. Its part-videos of a suspect leaving the scenenerships like the one between WRPS ofanaccidentaswellashumanand Magnet Forensics that will enable trafficking investigations. the long-term innovation required to Beyond the successful deploymentultimatelyaddressthedigitalevi-of the technology, SHIELD has dem- dence tsunami, as well as the many onstrated how such a purpose-builtother digital transformations required solution can reduce costs to the agencyfor policing in the 21st century.andimprovethepublicstrust,as officers can now support victims andBryan Larkin is Chief of Police of the witnessesinthefieldwhendigitalWaterloo Region Police Service and a evidence is involved. A total of 88 perPast-President of the OACP.cent of WRPS officers surveyed stated www.strathcraft.com that SHIELD reduced the time spentAdam Belsher is CEO of Magnet Forensics. 1-800-661-1103 on calls for service. Officers reportedHe can be contacted atthat it saved them on average 30-60adam@magnetforensics.com8 H.Q. Winter 2019/20'