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Enhancing Investigations with Data Sharing: A Focus on Chorus Intelligence’s Collections Feature

October 11, 2024 • By Jennifer van der Helm

In modern law enforcement, data sharing is critical for comprehensive and efficient investigations. However, traditional methods of sharing information are often hindered by inefficiencies and fragmented data storage. Investigators may collect vast amounts of data that remain siloed within individual departments, preventing valuable insights from being shared across the broader agency. The Chorus Intelligence Suite (CIS), particularly its Collections feature, is transforming how law enforcement agencies access and leverage data, offering a powerful solution to these challenges.

In this blog, we will explore traditional challenges of data sharing in investigations, how CIS Collections optimizes data usage, and how law enforcement agencies can unlock the full potential of their datasets to enhance collaboration and investigative outcomes.

Traditional Challenges in Law Enforcement Data Sharing

Data sharing across different departments or jurisdictions has long been fraught with obstacles. These challenges often slow down investigations, reduce the ability to connect cases, and create inefficiencies within law enforcement.

Siloed Datasets: Departments often collect data in isolation from one another. For example, investigators in the homicide department might recover handset data, but other departments, such as narcotics or organized crime units, may never know this data is available within their agency already. In these cases, valuable connections between cases can go unnoticed or duplication of efforts can occur.
Time-Consuming Data Searches: Searching through large volumes of digital evidence, such as device extractions, call logs, Master Attribution spreadsheets, or CCTV viewing logs, is often a tedious, manual process. Investigators may also need to search multiple devices or platforms individually, which slows down the process of uncovering critical connections between suspects or cases.
Manual and Slow Dissemination: Historically, law enforcement data sharing in investigations involved manual and slow processes. Officers and detectives exchanged information through hardcopy files, emails and phone communication, or in-person briefings. Investigative case files shared between departments as physical documents introduced risks of document loss, security breaches, and delays in critical investigations. Relying on phone calls or emails to request and share case updates often led to fragmented and disjointed records, making it challenging to compile a cohesive investigation history or connect separate cases. In-person meetings and briefings were time-consuming and ineffective for real-time updates, especially in cases with fast-moving developments.

How CIS Collections Solves These Challenges

The Chorus Intelligence Suite (CIS), and particularly its Collections feature, addresses these common challenges by offering a centralized platform for storing, indexing, and searching through datasets. This platform provides a significant advantage for law enforcement agencies looking to streamline their investigations.

Centralized and Searchable DataCIS Collections allows investigators to store multiple datasets—such as handset downloads, PDF files, intelligence reports, and CCTV viewing logs—in one central repository. Most importantly, these datasets are not only stored but also made fully searchable. Instead of manually sifting through several files, investigators can now search a phone number or keyword across all related datasets in one go. This reduces the time spent on administrative tasks and enables faster access to actionable insights.For instance, when investigating organized crime, a team might need to cross-reference multiple handset downloads. With Collections, searching across these datasets becomes quick and efficient, unlocking connections between cases that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration
One of the key benefits of the Collections feature is its ability to facilitate collaboration between different departments within an agency. Often, one department—such as a cybercrime unit—may upload handset data relevant to a specific case. With Collections, if the department is willing to share the data, other units—such as drug enforcement or counterterrorism teams—can access and leverage that information.This capability breaks down silos, ensuring that data isn’t trapped within one department but is accessible to all relevant stakeholders within an agency. This has a direct impact on the ability to connect seemingly unrelated cases and accelerate investigations. Agencies that utilize the CIS Collections feature improved efficiency and collaboration, leading to faster results and fewer missed investigative opportunities.
Unlocking Hidden Research and Intelligence
Collections also helps law enforcement agencies unlock historical data and research that may have previously gone unused. Intelligence reports, research spreadsheets, and other documents can be uploaded to the system, indexed, and made available for future investigations. Often, valuable research or intelligence is lost or unused when it’s solely in an analysts’ personal files or even when someone retires. With Collections, this data is transformed into a resource that can be searched and referenced across the agency.For example, research conducted over a 5, 10, 20-year career that didn’t exactly fit the criteria to be placed in an RMS would be lost when that person leaves, but with Collections that data can still be shared with other colleagues and units working on related cases, providing a more comprehensive view of criminal operations. This ability to share and leverage historical data ensures that law enforcement agencies make the most of their investigative resources.
Data Retention, Review, and Deletion (RRD)
Data management and compliance are critical concerns for law enforcement agencies, especially when handling sensitive information. The Retention, Review, and Deletion (RRD) feature in CIS Collections ensures that each agency can manage its data in accordance with internal policies and legal requirements. Agencies can review and delete data as needed, reducing storage costs and ensuring compliance with data retention policies. This functionality is essential for agencies that handle vast amounts of digital evidence and must manage their datasets efficiently while adhering to legal standards.

Conclusion

Data sharing within law enforcement is evolving, and tools like the Chorus Intelligence Suite (CIS) are at the forefront of this transformation. By centralizing and making data searchable, CIS Collections enhances investigative efficiency, encourages cross-departmental collaboration, and ensures that critical data is available to all relevant teams. In an era where digital evidence plays an increasingly important role in law enforcement, agencies that adopt tools like the CIS will be better positioned to solve complex cases and improve overall public safety.

As law enforcement agencies continue to face challenges around data sharing, technology offers a path forward, making investigations faster, more efficient, and more collaborative than ever before.

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