A-T Solutions, which focuses on counterterrorism efforts enabled by technology, introduced a new solution for in-field data collection by government agencies aimed at improving operations and faster, more accurate documentation and analysis of on-scene evidence.
The launch of the new Data Collection Toolkit came as part of this week’s 2014 Federal Mobile Computing Summit in Washington, D.C., and A-T Solutions released an accompanying white paper detailing use cases for mobile data collection.
A-T noted that significant amounts of paperwork for documentation purposes are expected in fields including law enforcement, accident and fire investigations, disaster planning, border control, intelligence and others.
“How this data is collected, though, can be a time-consuming and tedious task — filling out forms, transcribing written notes, documenting photographs, and more. This process can create a seemingly never-ending paper trail, but the ability to compile vast quantities of detailed information quickly and easily onsite is extremely important in many fields to put the big picture into focus and enable in-depth analysis of information to apply to future operations,” A-T Solutions said in the white paper. The company went on to add that when investigative or assessment teams arrive at a site, their first priority is not to preserve evidence or compile data, but to restore order. However, mobile tools can capture the scene in detail without disrupting on-site operations and allow information to be shared in real-time for response purposes, as well as for future reference.
“Sometimes, after an event, the study of digital findings reveals valuable details or evidence that were missed in the commotion or haste of the onsite investigation. Field data collection apps allow audio, video, photographic, and geospatial files to be integrated into diagrams, casebooks, and reports for subsequent evaluation,” A-T Solutions said, noting that mobile data collection systems also allow data to be collected from multiple teams in disparate locations and standardized for analysis. The company also noted that with juries’ expectations for “CSI”-type levels of evidence, agencies may find that handwritten reports, drawings and notes can have their worth discounted compared to digitally captured information. Mobile tools also help eliminate human error in records.
“With mobile applications, observations, photos, and facts are immediately synchronized onsite into the data collection system via smartphones and tablets. Resultant data is more accurate than eyewitness accounts and better standardized for easier use and comparison to other examples,” A-T Solutions said in the white paper. “No matter how many weeks, months, or even years pass between an incident and finding or trial, because data is electronically captured and stored, the chances of misfiling or losing a piece of information or evidence are minimized. Details related to a case can easily be reviewed and shared without the physical presence of the materials.”
Having better data to analyze also improves the basis of future response plans, A-T Solutions noted.
“Mobile tools are increasingly essential for federal agencies,” said Dennis Kelly, who is president and CEO of A-T Solutions. He added that “the need for accurate, efficient and easy-to-use data collection has become such an important part of the evidence collection and planning process for so many federal agencies, from transportation and food safety to defense, law enforcement and emergency management.”
