From Crisis to Confidence: How Rumford PD Transformed Evidence Management After Tragedy
Discover how Chief Tony Milligan led Rumford Maine Police Department through a complete evidence room transformation—turning a traumatic experience into operational excellence with SAFE by Tracker Products.
The Challenge
When Accountability Failures Turn Tragic
Rumford Maine Police Department faced every chief’s worst nightmare. Operating with an antiquated paper-based evidence system, they had no real accountability or oversight. “Never really knowing what we had was always the big challenge,” explains Chief Tony Milligan. When asked basic questions like “how many firearms do you have in the evidence room right now?” the evidence manager couldn’t provide answers even after days of manual counting.
The lack of proper controls led to a devastating incident: a trusted employee with unfettered access to the evidence room diverted drugs scheduled for destruction, ultimately resulting in a suicide by cop situation. This tragedy exposed the enormous liability of having one person with 24/7 access to evidence without proper oversight or tracking systems.
The Goal to Accomplish
Building Trust Through Technology and Accountability
Chief Milligan, drawing from his 30-year experience with Maine Drug Enforcement Agency where he had previously used Tracker Products, knew exactly what needed to be implemented. The goals were clear: establish “peace of mind, legitimacy, and accuracy” in evidence management, create proper accountability systems, and implement modern tracking that would protect both evidence and personnel while ensuring the department could instantly answer basic inventory questions.
The Solution
SAFE by Tracker: Complete Transformation Through Team Effort
Tracker implemented its cloud-based SAFE platform with an “all hands on deck” approach that turned implementation into team building. Key features included:
- Barcode Tracking System – Every piece of evidence gets a unique barcode for instant identification and location
- Instant Inventory Access – Real-time answers to questions like firearm, currency, and drug counts in under 5 seconds
- Automated Disposition Alerts – System notifications prevent evidence from “growing roots” and becoming permanent residents
- Mobile Field Integration – Officers can log evidence directly from search warrant locations using laptops and printers
- Electronic Chain of Custody – Complete tracking “like FedEx or UPS” with timestamps and PDF-ready documentation
- Advanced Search Capabilities – Find evidence by case number, suspect name, or any keyword search
- Comprehensive Audit Tools – Transform audits from “dreaded process” to routine verification completed in seconds
The Results
From Hours to Seconds: Operational Excellence Achieved
The transformation has been remarkable, with Chief Milligan noting that the system has delivered on every promise and exceeded expectations.
From 3+ Hours to 5 Seconds
Time to answer basic inventory questions like firearm counts
50%+ Space Recovery
Significant evidence room space saved through efficient organization
Zero Legal Challenges
No evidence-related court challenges since SAFE implementation
5-Second Evidence Location
Any piece of evidence can be located and retrieved within seconds
Perfect Audit Success
Only one minor discrepancy (data entry error) in all audits since implementation
100% Officer Buy-in
Even the biggest skeptic became a “full supporter” within weeks
“I looked at our current records management system provider who has a property evidence module… we did a side by side comparison both on cost and the options… and it was a complete waste of my time. I gotta tell you, Tracker Products smoked them all day long. So it was a no-brainer.”
- Chief Tony Milligan - Rumford Police Department
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From Crisis to Confidence: How Rumford PD Transformed Evidence Management After Tragedy
Discover how Chief Tony Milligan led Rumford Maine Police Department through a complete evidence room transformation.
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