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E-Forms to be used for witness statement trial
Avon & Somerset Constabulary is working with HeliMedia to trial a new method of completing and processing witness statements electronically using mobile devices.
The Electronic Witness Statement (EWS) solution, based on the mobile eForms application ‘Form Patrol’, will need to meet the stringent standards outlined by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The ‘Form Patrol’ trial is scheduled to run for a three month period using Panasonic Toughbooks, beginning in May 2011.
The trial is fully supported by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The results of the trial will form an integral part of a larger project working towards a fully electronic case file.
This solution means witness statements can be created digitally, with an electronic signature replacing the traditional, handwritten ink one. This will be captured via a mobile data terminal, with the witness using a stylus to sign the screen or an electronic pad.
The EWS will deliver a range of benefits throughout the criminal justice system:
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improving and speeding up the service for victims and witnesses;
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saving time in creating and processing statements for frontline officers;
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reducing the requirement of back office resources;
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providing faster access to information;
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automatically distributing signed statements to criminal justice partners, potentially in near real time;
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increasing the integrity and authenticity of statements through a ‘lock down’ at the point of being taken
Overall, the introduction of the EWS solution will massively improve business efficiency by eliminating the current manual paper process, whilst providing a significant reduction in processing time and cost.
The three month trial of Form Patrol will involve up to 100 officers and the results will be reviewed to consider the development of a national standard and wider use.
Inspector Kevin McCarthy, from the NPIA Digital Evidence Programme, commented;
“The EWS pilot is intended to demonstrate radical improvements to the criminal justice process from the initial arrest phase, through custody and onto the eventual court appearance. The typed documents created and distributed electronically will be easier to read, and accessible instantly via a desktop computer or laptop. It is vital that the adopted system will ensure complete integrity of the statement, whilst improving data quality and streamlining the whole process. In particular, we expect to demonstrate the savings in the time and cost of managing the criminal justice back office process.”
The Form Patrol solution being trialled will also be available for demonstration on the Panasonic stand (B1) at the forthcoming BAPCO exhibition on the 13th and 14th April 2011.
