Tucson Police Department Moves To Digital Imaging With Linear Systems And LSI 3ware RAID Controllers

When ID Superintendent John Neeley started with the Tucson Police Department nearly 30 years ago, he could not have imagined that one day the department’s crime scene specialists would be carrying digital cameras. Nor that law enforcement officers and other first responders would also be armed with cameras to capture digital evidence before the Crime Scene Unit’s arrival. During those years, Neeley would see the number of photographic images processed through the department’s ID Section increase by 1,000 percent and row upon row of cardboard filing boxes in the ID Section file room be replaced by storage systems holding multiple terabytes of data.

Key Challenges

• Move the Tucson Police Department Identification Section from film-based photography to digital photography
• Arm police officers, crime scene specialists and other first responders with digital cameras while providing access control and protecting the evidence chain of custody
• Protect and store the data while providing users with fast access
• Plan for growth in data storage capacity

Solution

• Linear Systems’ Enterprise Digital Information Management System ImageServer, 12TB server and storage
• LSI 3ware 9650SE SATA II RAID for maximum performance, fault tolerance and data protection
• Over 500 digital cameras in the field and 17 easy-to-use Linear Systems download stations throughout the city
• Linear Systems custom software for access control, tracking and security of digital evidence

Results

• Broader coverage and collection of photographic evidence, more first responders armed with digital cameras
• Through the ID Section’s training program, greater awareness of the importance of proper digital evidence collection and protection
• Greater control over digital evidence, securely protecting the chain of custody
• Cost savings and faster access to digital evidence, no more waiting for prints to be sent by mail or courier