Mobile Device Examination Equipment

Cheshire Constabulary is experiencing an increase in demand for front line policing to examine mobile devices and associated hardware such as SIM cards. Demand for this facility is expected to continue to rise. It is important to meet this demand and to empower front line investigators to carry out these examinations 24/7. This will ensure that: • The minimum number of suspects have to be bailed pending the examination of their mobile devices and that when it is necessary, the duration of their bail is minimised; • Victims and witnesses are not unduly inconvenienced when it is necessary to examine their mobile devices; • Turnaround times for examination of mobile devices is significantly reduced; and • Submissions to the e-Forensics unit are reduced, enabling skilled staff to focus on more complex technical examinations.

The vision for Cheshire Constabulary is that frontline investigators will have access to mobile device examination equipment at a number of local sites including Custody Suites, Local Police Stations and Headquarters. A number of trained frontline investigators will carry out mobile device examinations on behalf of their colleagues.

These trained frontline investigators will advise colleagues on what information may be obtained from mobile devices, how to preserve the evidence and how to use it to develop lines of enquiry. This will ensure that: • Wasteful examinations will be prevented by a formalised decision-making process that also ensures force-wide consistency; • There will be strong governance of the equipment and procedures, with an operational manager who is accountable for sustaining and promoting the proper use of the equipment; and • This vision is consistent with the Police & Crime Plan Priority of "building on the use of innovative technology to deliver better services to the communities of Cheshire".