State & local government · Moraph software

Digital Evidence Management for Local PD

Store, share and release digital evidence with a full chain of custody

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Overview

What you are buying

Digital Evidence Management for Local PD stores body-worn camera footage, in-car and CCTV video, photos, interviews and other digital evidence in one repository, linked to cases and kept under your retention schedule. It shares evidence with prosecutors, records every access in the chain of custody, and proposes redactions of faces, license plates and other details for a person to review before anything is released. Records staff answer public records requests from the same place, with the reasoning for each redaction kept on file.

The problem it solves

Local police departments now collect more video than they can manage: body-worn cameras, in-car systems, interview rooms, CCTV from businesses and residents, and phone footage. It sits on separate vendor systems, file shares and discs, linked to cases by hand. Sharing with prosecutors means copying files, retention is hard to apply, and every public records request for video means hours of manual redaction of bystanders, plates and screens. When the defense or a court asks who handled a file, the chain of custody has gaps.

  • Evidence is spread across vendor systems, file shares and physical media
  • Sharing with prosecutors means copying files with no record of what was sent
  • Redacting video for public release is slow and done frame by frame
  • Retention schedules and legal holds are tracked by hand

Who uses it

  • Evidence and property units in municipal and county police departments and sheriff's offices
  • Patrol officers and detectives who collect and use digital evidence
  • Records and public information staff who answer public records requests
  • Prosecutors' offices that receive evidence for charging and discovery
  • Command staff, internal affairs and auditors who oversee evidence handling

Requirements it supports

FBI CJIS Security PolicyState public records laws, including body-worn camera release provisions (vary by state)Brady v. Maryland disclosure obligations and state criminal discovery rulesFederal Rules of Evidence 901 and state equivalents on authenticationState law enforcement records retention schedulesJuvenile record confidentiality laws (vary by state)

The product supports these requirements; meeting them remains your organization’s responsibility.

See how it works

A short walkthrough

Illustrative screens with fictional sample data. They show the workflow, not any client’s data or configuration, and the layout of the product itself differs. A live demonstration uses the product with sample data.

  1. Step 1

    The evidence library

    Evidence from every source sits in one place, with its case, category and retention.

    FileSourceCaseCategoryUploaded byRetention
    EV-552031Body-worn cameraCase 26-004418AssaultOfficer 214Per schedule
    EV-552028In-car cameraCase 26-004418AssaultOfficer 214Per schedule
    EV-552010Public submissionCase 26-004391BurglaryResident uploadPer schedule
    EV-551987Body-worn cameraUntaggedNot setOfficer 108Pending
    EV-551960Interview roomCase 26-004302RobberyDetective 31Legal hold
    Evidence from every source sits in one place, with its case, category and retention.

  2. Step 2

    A piece of evidence

    Each file shows where it came from, its integrity check and the case it belongs to.

    EV-552031 · Body-worn camera · Case 26-004418

    Recorded by
    Officer 214 (fictional)
    Device
    Camera BWC-0391
    Recorded
    Sample date and time
    Location
    Example Avenue, Example City
    Integrity
    Hash verified
    Sensitivity
    Standard

    Linked items

    • In-car camera EV-552028
    • Clip EV-552031-C1 made by detective
    • Shared with Example County Prosecutor (fictional)
    Each file shows where it came from, its integrity check and the case it belongs to.

  3. Step 3

    The chain of custody

    Every action on the file is recorded, from upload to sharing with the prosecutor.

    EV-552031 · Chain of custody

    1. Uploaded from camera dock; hash recordedSystem
    2. Tagged to Case 26-004418, category AssaultOfficer 214
    3. Viewed for report writingOfficer 214
    4. Clip EV-552031-C1 created; original unchangedDetective 31
    5. Share to prosecutor approvedSergeant 12
    6. Viewed and downloaded by recipientExample County Prosecutor
    Every action on the file is recorded, from upload to sharing with the prosecutor.

  4. Step 4

    Reviewing redactions

    The system proposes redactions; a records clerk checks every one and adds what it missed before anything is released.

    Request PR-26-0193 · EV-552031

    Faces proposed
    14
    License plates proposed
    3
    Screens proposed
    1
    Spoken names flagged
    2
    Reviewed by
    Records clerk 4
    Status
    Missed face added manually

    Review notes

    • Bystander faces redacted
    • Plates of uninvolved vehicles redacted
    • Address spoken at 02:14 muted
    • Officer faces left visible under agency policy
    The system proposes redactions; a records clerk checks every one and adds what it missed before anything is released.

  5. Step 5

    Public records requests

    Records staff see every open request involving digital evidence, with its deadline under state law.

    RequestRequester typeFilesDueStatus
    PR-26-0193News media2Sample dateAwaiting approval
    PR-26-0188Member of the public5Due soonRedaction in progress
    PR-26-0175Attorney1Sample dateReleased
    PR-26-0169Member of the public3Sample dateWithheld, basis recorded
    Records staff see every open request involving digital evidence, with its deadline under state law.

  6. Step 6

    Retention and disposition

    When retention ends, evidence is proposed for disposition and deleted only after approval and a hold check.

    FileCategoryRetention endedCase statusHoldAction
    EV-401122Traffic stop, no citationSample dateClosedNoneApprove deletion
    EV-401098TheftSample dateClosedNoneApprove deletion
    EV-400977Use of forceSample dateClosedLitigation holdRetain
    EV-400951TrespassSample dateOpenNoneReview category
    When retention ends, evidence is proposed for disposition and deleted only after approval and a hold check.

Workflows

The principal workflows

  1. Collect

    Evidence arrives from body-worn and in-car cameras, interview rooms, officers' phones and files submitted by the public, and is fingerprinted with a hash on arrival so its integrity can be shown later.

    • Files uploaded from camera systems, devices or a public submission link
    • Hash recorded on arrival to show the file has not changed
    • Officer tags the file with case or incident number and category
    • Metadata such as device, officer, time and location captured
    • Untagged files flagged to the officer and their supervisor

  2. Manage

    Evidence is organized by case, retained under your schedule based on its category, and protected by legal holds when needed. Every view, download and change is recorded in the chain of custody.

    • Files linked to cases from your records management system
    • Retention category applied from the offense or event type
    • Legal holds placed for litigation, appeals or investigations
    • Clips and copies made without altering the original
    • Disposition proposed when retention ends and approved before deletion

  3. Share

    Detectives share evidence with prosecutors and other agencies by secure link or package, with what was shared, when and with whom recorded for discovery.

    • Detective selects files for the case package
    • Supervisor approves sharing where your policy requires
    • Prosecutor receives a secure, time-limited link
    • Each view and download by the recipient recorded
    • Discovery log kept with the case

  4. Release

    For public records requests and authorized releases, the system proposes redactions of faces, license plates, screens and audio. A records staff member reviews every proposal, and a second person approves before release.

    • Request logged and responsive files identified
    • Redaction proposals generated for faces, plates, screens and spoken names
    • Records staff accept, reject or add redactions frame by frame
    • Supervisor reviews and approves the redacted version
    • Redacted copy released and the release recorded with its legal basis

Roles and permissions

Who does what in the product

Each role below is a starting point. During implementation we set them up to match your teams, and every action anyone takes is recorded in the audit trail.

Officer

Patrol officer, deputy, school resource officer

Captures evidence and makes sure it is uploaded and tagged correctly for the case.

Sees

  • Evidence they recorded or uploaded
  • Evidence on cases they are assigned to
  • Untagged files waiting for them

Does

  • Uploads evidence from devices and cameras
  • Tags files with case or incident number and category
  • Views their own footage when writing reports, where your policy allows
  • Adds notes to their evidence

Cannot

  • Delete or alter evidence
  • Share evidence outside the agency
  • See evidence on cases they are not assigned to, unless your policy grants it
Approvals
Nothing they do needs approval; their tagging is reviewed by supervisors.
Notified about
Files waiting to be tagged and tagging corrections requested by a supervisor.

Detective

Detective, investigator, case agent

Builds the evidence for a case and provides it to prosecutors.

Sees

  • All evidence on cases assigned to them
  • The chain of custody for those files
  • Shares and discovery logs for their cases

Does

  • Links evidence to cases and adds tags
  • Makes clips and stills without altering originals
  • Prepares case packages for prosecutors
  • Requests legal holds
  • Requests public submissions from witnesses

Cannot

  • Delete evidence or end a legal hold
  • Release evidence to the public
  • Share outside the agency without supervisor approval where your policy requires it
Approvals
External shares are approved by a supervisor where your policy requires; legal holds are placed by the evidence unit.
Notified about
New evidence linked to their cases, shares viewed by the prosecutor, and dispositions proposed on their cases.

Evidence technician

Evidence technician, property and evidence custodian, evidence unit supervisor

Keeps the repository complete and in order: retention, holds, disposition and integrity checks.

Sees

  • All evidence in the repository
  • Retention categories, holds and disposition queues
  • Integrity check results
  • The chain of custody for any file

Does

  • Corrects retention categories with a recorded reason
  • Places and releases legal holds
  • Proposes disposition when retention ends
  • Runs integrity checks and investigates failures
  • Imports evidence from legacy systems and media

Cannot

  • Delete evidence without an approved disposition
  • Release evidence to the public
  • Edit or delete chain of custody entries
Approvals
Dispositions are approved by a supervisor before deletion, and holds are released only with the authorizing reason recorded.
Notified about
Dispositions due, integrity check failures, holds expiring and files with no case link.

Records staff

Records clerk, public records officer, public information officer

Answers public records requests and prepares redacted copies for release under state law.

Sees

  • Public records requests and their deadlines
  • Evidence identified as responsive to a request
  • Redaction proposals and review history

Does

  • Logs requests and identifies responsive evidence
  • Runs redaction proposals and reviews them frame by frame
  • Adds, accepts or rejects redactions with reasons
  • Records the legal basis for withholding or redacting
  • Releases the approved redacted copy

Cannot

  • Release a redacted copy without supervisor approval
  • Alter the original evidence
  • See evidence not identified as responsive to a request, unless their role allows
Approvals
Every release is approved by a supervisor or designated reviewer who did not prepare it.
Notified about
New requests, deadlines approaching under your state law and releases approved or returned.

Supervisor

Sergeant, lieutenant, records supervisor, evidence unit commander

Approves the steps that carry the most risk: sharing outside the agency, public releases and deletions.

Sees

  • Evidence for their unit or command
  • Items awaiting their approval
  • Tagging compliance for their officers
  • The chain of custody

Does

  • Approves or returns external shares
  • Approves or returns redacted releases
  • Approves dispositions
  • Reviews and corrects tagging by their officers
  • Approves role changes for their unit

Cannot

  • Approve a release or share they prepared themselves
  • Delete evidence under a legal hold
  • Edit or delete chain of custody entries
Approvals
Approves shares, releases and dispositions; their own work needs a second supervisor.
Notified about
Approvals waiting, untagged evidence by their officers and releases with approaching deadlines.

Prosecutor (external)

Assistant district attorney, city prosecutor, county attorney, paralegal

Reviews evidence for charging decisions and discovery.

Sees

  • Evidence shared with them for their cases
  • The chain of custody for shared files
  • Share expiry dates

Does

  • Views and downloads shared evidence
  • Requests additional evidence from the detective
  • Exports the chain of custody for court

Cannot

  • See evidence not shared with them
  • Change, tag or delete evidence
  • Re-share evidence to others through the system
Approvals
Their access is granted per share by the detective, with supervisor approval where your policy requires.
Notified about
New shares and shares about to expire.

Administrator

Department IT administrator, application administrator

Manages users, roles, device connections and configuration, without access to evidence content.

Sees

  • Users, roles and units
  • Device and system connections
  • Configuration such as retention categories and tags
  • The record of permission changes

Does

  • Adds and removes users, or maps them from single sign-on groups
  • Maintains device and system connections
  • Configures retention categories, tags and request types
  • Runs access review reports

Cannot

  • View, share or release evidence
  • Grant themselves an evidence role without supervisor approval
  • Change retention on specific evidence
Approvals
Role changes that grant access to evidence are approved by a supervisor.
Notified about
Device connection failures, access reviews due and accounts not used for a period your policy sets.

Permissions at a glance

ActionOfficerDetectiveEvidence techRecordsSupervisorProsecutorAdmin
Upload and tag evidenceOwn work onlyOwn work onlyFullNo accessFullNo accessNo access
View evidenceOwn work onlyOwn work onlyFullOwn work onlyOwn work onlyOwn work onlyNo access
Make clips and copiesNo accessOwn work onlyFullOwn work onlyOwn work onlyNo accessNo access
Share with a prosecutor or agencyNo accessOwn work onlyNo accessNo accessApprovesNo accessNo access
Run redaction proposalsNo accessNo accessNo accessOwn work onlyView onlyNo accessNo access
Release a redacted copyNo accessNo accessNo accessOwn work onlyApprovesNo accessNo access
Place or release a legal holdNo accessNo accessFullNo accessApprovesNo accessNo access
Change a retention categoryNo accessNo accessFullNo accessView onlyNo accessNo access
Delete at end of retentionNo accessNo accessOwn work onlyNo accessApprovesNo accessNo access
View chain of custodyOwn work onlyOwn work onlyFullOwn work onlyView onlyOwn work onlyNo access
Manage users and rolesNo accessNo accessNo accessNo accessApprovesNo accessFull
  • Full
  • Own work only
  • Approves
  • View only
  • No access

How access is controlled

  • Two-person rules are built in: nobody approves a release, an external share or a deletion that they prepared themselves, and evidence under a legal hold cannot be deleted by anyone.
  • Originals are never altered. Clips, stills and redacted versions are new files linked to the original, and the chain of custody shows how each was made.
  • Roles are configured with you during implementation and can be limited by unit, case type and sensitivity, for example restricting juvenile or internal affairs evidence to named people. Every permission change is recorded.
  • Staff sign in through your identity provider. Prosecutors receive access per share, with an expiry, rather than standing accounts on the whole repository.

Features

What it does

Single evidence repository

Video, audio, photos, documents and device extractions in one place, linked to cases, whichever system captured them.

Chain of custody

Every upload, view, clip, share, download and disposition recorded with the person, time and reason, exportable for court.

Integrity hashing

A hash recorded on arrival and checked later, so the agency can show a file has not been altered.

Case linking

Evidence linked to case and incident numbers from your records management and dispatch systems.

Redaction proposals

Automated detection proposes redactions of faces, license plates, screens and spoken names for a person to review; nothing is released without human approval.

Redaction review

Frame-by-frame review to accept, reject or add redactions, with the reason for each recorded.

Prosecutor sharing

Time-limited secure links and case packages for prosecutors and partner agencies, with each access recorded.

Retention and disposition

Retention categories from your schedule, applied automatically by offense or event type, with disposition approved before deletion.

Legal holds

Holds placed on cases or files to stop disposition, with who placed them and why.

Public submissions

Residents and businesses upload CCTV or phone footage through a link tied to an incident, without needing an account.

Public records requests

Requests logged with their deadlines under your state law, responsive files identified and releases recorded.

Search

Find evidence by case, officer, date, location, category or tag, within what each user is allowed to see.

Integrations

How it connects to your systems

Connects toHowWhat flows
Body-worn and in-car camerasFootage imported from your camera systems through their export or upload interfaces, with device and officer metadata.In: video files, device, officer, time and location metadata.
Records management systemCase and incident numbers, offense types and case status from your RMS, for linking and retention.In: case numbers, offense types, status. Out: evidence counts per case.
Computer-aided dispatchIncident numbers, times and locations from CAD, so footage can be matched to calls.In: incident numbers, times and locations.
Prosecutor case managementCase packages delivered by secure link, or by file transfer to the prosecutor's system where they agree a format.Out: evidence files, case package index and chain of custody.
Interview room recordingRecordings from interview room systems imported and linked to the case.In: audio and video recordings with room and time metadata.
Public records request systemRequests and deadlines from the tracking tool your city or county uses, with releases recorded back.In: request number, scope and deadline. Out: release record.
Single sign-onStaff sign in through your identity provider (SAML or OpenID Connect), with your multi-factor authentication.In: user identity and group membership for role assignment.
Work APIEvidence metadata, retention status and request data available to your reporting tools through the Moraph Work API.Out: evidence metadata, custody events, requests and status.

Each integration is confirmed in discovery and specified in the design. See how an engagement progresses.

Security and privacy

How your data is protected

Single sign-on and multi-factor

Staff sign in through your identity provider, so your password and multi-factor policies apply.

Role-based access

What each person can see and do follows their role, unit and the sensitivity of the case.

Encryption and keys

Evidence is encrypted, with keys Moraph staff cannot use without explicit, time-bound authorization.

Chain of custody

Every view, download, clip, share and deletion is logged with the person and time, and cannot be edited.

US hosting

Evidence and criminal justice information are hosted in the United States region only.

CJIS control mapping

Moraph maps its controls to the FBI CJIS Security Policy and supports your agency's own compliance; personnel screening and the security addendum are agreed in the contract.

Company-wide controls, independent audits (SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 27001) and data residency are described in our Trust Center, where you can request the evidence pack.

Reporting

What you can report on

10 standard reports, grouped by who uses them. Each shows who it is for, how it can be broken down, how it is delivered and what it is used for. The data behind them is also available to your own reporting tools.

Operational

Untagged evidence

For supervisors and the evidence unit

Files uploaded without a case number or category, by officer and age.

Break down by
Officer, Unit, Source, Age
Delivered as
Live dashboard; scheduled email
Used for
Getting evidence linked to cases before it is needed.

Evidence by case

For detectives and supervisors

Every file linked to a case, its source, category, retention and whether it has been shared.

Break down by
Case, Source, Category, Shared status
Delivered as
Live view; CSV and PDF export
Used for
Checking a case's evidence is complete before charging or trial.

Shares and discovery log

For detectives, supervisors and prosecutors

Evidence shared outside the agency, with whom, when, who approved it and whether it was opened.

Break down by
Case, Recipient agency, Date, Accessed
Delivered as
Live view; PDF export
Used for
Showing what was disclosed and when, for discovery and Brady questions.

Public records

Public records requests

For records staff and supervisors

Open requests involving digital evidence, their deadlines under your state law and their status.

Break down by
Status, Deadline window, Request type, Assigned staff
Delivered as
Live dashboard; scheduled email
Used for
Meeting statutory deadlines and balancing redaction work.

Releases and redactions

For records supervisors, command staff and counsel

Each release, the redactions applied, the legal basis recorded and who prepared and approved it.

Break down by
Request, Redaction type, Legal basis, Approver
Delivered as
Live view; PDF and CSV export
Used for
Answering challenges to a release or withholding.

Retention

Disposition queue

For evidence unit and supervisors

Evidence reaching the end of its retention period, any holds, and dispositions awaiting approval.

Break down by
Retention category, Due date, Hold status, Case status
Delivered as
Live dashboard; scheduled email
Used for
Applying the retention schedule and controlling storage.

Legal holds

For evidence unit, counsel and command staff

Active holds, what they cover, who placed them, why and when they were last reviewed.

Break down by
Hold reason, Case, Placed by, Review date
Delivered as
Live view; PDF export
Used for
Making sure nothing under a hold is lost and holds are released when no longer needed.

Storage by category

For command staff and IT

Evidence volume by category, source and retention period, and what is due for disposition.

Break down by
Category, Source, Retention period, Period
Delivered as
Live dashboard; CSV export
Used for
Planning storage and budget.

Oversight

Chain of custody extract

For prosecutors, counsel and courts

Every event in a file's history from upload onward, with the integrity hash and its checks.

Break down by
File, User, Action, Date range
Delivered as
On request in the product; PDF export
Used for
Authenticating evidence and answering custody questions in court.

Access review

For command staff, internal affairs and auditors

Who accessed evidence, including sensitive cases, and each user's roles for periodic certification.

Break down by
User, Unit, Sensitivity, Date range
Delivered as
Scheduled; CSV and PDF export
Used for
Detecting inappropriate access and supporting CJIS audits.

Exports, access and evidence

  • Every report can be exported to CSV, and summary and evidence reports to PDF. Reports can be scheduled to arrive by email for the people entitled to see them.
  • Reports respect each viewer's role: officers see their own evidence, supervisors their unit, and sensitive cases appear only to people allowed to see them.
  • Evidence metadata, custody events and request data are available through the Moraph Work API for your reporting tools. Evidence content is not included in reporting feeds.
  • Chain of custody and release reports can be run as of a past date and give the same result each time.
  • Running and exporting a report is itself recorded in the audit trail.

Deployment

Where and how it runs

Moraph cloud

Hosted and operated by Moraph in the United States region, the only region used for government data.

Dedicated environment

A single-tenant environment for agencies whose policies require isolation, scoped in the proposal.

With a managed service

Optionally run alongside a Moraph managed service for system connections, migration and administration support.

Security controls, independent audits and data residency are set out in our Trust Center. Engagement models and what drives a quotation are on Working with Moraph.

Implementation

What a rollout involves

The general phases are on Working with Moraph. For this product, they involve the following.

Policy mapping

We configure categories, retention periods, sharing approvals, officer viewing rules and release rules from your policies, retention schedule and state law, which your counsel confirms.

Source connections

We connect your camera, interview room, RMS and CAD systems. We need contacts for each system and, for camera systems, access to their export or upload interfaces.

Legacy migration

Existing evidence on file shares, vendor systems and media is imported in agreed batches, with hashes recorded and the import noted in each file's chain of custody.

Redaction setup

Redaction types, review steps and release approvals are configured, and records staff test them on sample footage before use.

Prosecutor onboarding

Sharing is set up with your prosecutors' offices, including how packages are delivered and how long links stay open.

Training and go-live

Officers, detectives, evidence staff, records staff and supervisors are trained on their own workflows. Units can be brought on in phases.

Limitations

What it does not do

Worth knowing before you evaluate it.

  • Redaction proposals are suggestions. Automated detection can miss faces, plates or other details, so a person reviews every release and a second person approves it.
  • Release decisions and their legal basis are your agency's. The product records them; your records staff and counsel decide what state law requires.
  • It is not a camera system. It imports footage from your body-worn, in-car and interview room systems through their export or upload interfaces, which vary by vendor.
  • It is not a records management system. Case data comes from your RMS.
  • Moraph does not hold CJIS certification; there is no such certification. Moraph maps its controls to the CJIS Security Policy and supports your agency's compliance and audits.
  • Forensic extraction from phones and computers is done with your forensic tools; their outputs can be stored and tracked here.
  • Live video streaming and real-time camera monitoring are not included.
  • Retention periods come from your schedule and state law; the product applies them but does not set them.

Evaluation checklist

What to test in a demonstration or pilot

Questions worth putting to us, and to any other vendor you are considering.

  1. Import sample footage from your own camera system and check the metadata that comes across
  2. Run redaction proposals on a sample video and review what was found and missed
  3. Share a case package with a test prosecutor account and export the chain of custody
  4. Configure two of your retention categories and walk a file through disposition
  5. Place a legal hold and confirm nothing under it can be deleted
  6. Confirm role separation: who can share, release and delete

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Does it work with our body-worn camera vendor?

It imports from camera systems through their export or upload interfaces. Which vendors and how much metadata comes across is confirmed during scoping.

Is redaction fully automatic?

No. The system proposes redactions to save review time, but a person reviews every release and a second person approves it before anything goes out.

Is it CJIS compliant?

There is no CJIS certification. Moraph maps its controls to the FBI CJIS Security Policy, hosts in the United States only, and supports your agency's compliance and audits; the security addendum and personnel screening are agreed in the contract.

Who owns the evidence?

Your agency does. How it is returned to you and deleted at the end of the agreement, with its chain of custody, is set out in the contract.

How is it priced?

As a subscription, usually measured by the number of users and the volume of evidence stored, with implementation and migration charged separately. See Working with Moraph for what drives a quotation.

Is there an accessibility conformance report?

Ask for one through the procurement request form at /how-to-buy/request, naming the version you are evaluating.

Next steps

Evaluate Digital Evidence Management for Local PD

Book a demonstration

See the product working with sample data, focused on your workflows.

Request a demonstration

Request a technical briefing

Architecture, integrations, security and hosting, with our engineers and your technical team.

Request a briefing

Factsheet

This page on two sides, to share with colleagues or add to your evaluation file.

Open the factsheet

Buying through a formal procurement? See How to buy for purchasing routes, accessibility conformance reports and company information. Documentation: Digital Evidence Management for Local PD guides on docs.moraph.com (getting started and security guides are public; setup, administration and integration guides are for client accounts). Support: Digital Evidence Management for Local PD support guide.

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