Police look to digital switchover
June 25, 2008 – 4:15 pmThe tape recorder has been a constant in police interviews for the last 20 years but it could soon be consigned to the bin.
Plans to conduct and store interviews in digital format could radically speed up the time it takes to bring criminals to justice, say experts.
The majority of forces still rely on analogue recorders, with many having up to half a million tapes in storage.
No timeframe has been set to switch the 43 police forces in England and Wales.
Networked evidence
Time is running out for analogue tape which has already become a dead format on the high street; something that has an impact on police use of tape recorders.
“Spares are getting harder to find and it is time for a change,” said Andy Griffiths, Detective Chief Inspector with Sussex Police who also sits on the ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) steering committee for investigative interviewing.
The steering committee has been examining the best way to facilitate the switch to digital and is advocating a two-fold change in both the hardware and the methods of storage.
