Evidence Management Software Versus Pen and Paper
March 27, 2019
With technological advances in evidence management and the increased use of connected handheld devices, it’s no surprise that the use of pen and paper is diminishing. Why use a pen and paper when you can type everything up on your tablet or phone?
The same logic applies to your evidence management system. For evidence management, pen and paper are slowly being phased out in lieu of evidence management software. While it can be satisfying to put pen to paper, there are a lot of clear advantages of using evidence management software instead.
RELATED: WHAT AN EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CAN DO THAT PEN AND PAPER CAN’T!
Here are some reasons why pen and paper are being replaced with evidence management software:
- Eliminates all of the different styles of handwriting.
- Eliminates writing errors.
- Better chance Officers will add notes.
- Can collect more data.
- No more copying property cards to give to Officers to try to get dispositions.
- You are able to do searches.
- You are able to do reports.
- Less chance of losing property.
- Audits and Inventory are much easier.
- No risk of losing or misplacing property cards.
- Eliminates the risk an item doesn’t get checked out to the lab.
- Chain of custody is accurate.
- Easier to send and keep track of property letters.
- No chance to have coffee, soda, food spills on the property cards.
- No more stapling documents to the property card.
- You have an actual person to call should you have any questions/issues.
- Much smaller error margin.
- Good for the environment as it eliminates most paper (property cards, reports, release forms, etc).
- Much easier to manage cases when officers leave and/or retire.
- Easier organization in the property room.
- Less chance of error in the courtroom.
Pen and paper for evidence management are susceptible to human errors, lost pages, slow filing and retrieval, and even information loss!
You can protect the integrity of your evidence management when you implement evidence management software. Digital records of evidence allow you to quickly search and find what you need, but it’s much more than that. Our evidence tracking software, “SAFE” is more than just barcodes and inventory control, it’s end-to-end chain of custody software for physical and digital evidence, resolving each of the critical issues facing evidence management. For more information about SAFE and how it can improve your evidence management process, contact us today!
