3 Ways AI-Assisted Video Redaction Overcomes the Hurdles of Manual Forensic Video Evidence Management

Oct. 7, 2019
AI-Assisted Video Redaction empowers police departments by reducing the time, effort, & expense attributed to manual redaction by up to 90%.

Provided by Panasonic

The proliferation of cameras and surveillance technology has brought a mass influx of video evidence. Accompanying this flood of data are new legal, accountability and privacy concerns which are a challenge for law enforcement professionals. Here is how AI-Assisted video redaction technology can help.

Due to many state and local laws concerning privacy, the redaction of video evidence has become a necessity to most law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, many departments are left in a tough position as they try to comply with numerous Freedom of Information Act requests (FOIA), attempt to budget for the costs associated with redaction services, and try to cope with the time associated with such work. Compounding these challenges is the fact that more police departments are adopting body worn cameras and other video surveillance technology, which adds to the continued growth of video redaction needs. 

Innovating due to limited resources is nothing new to law enforcement agencies, and AI-Assisted video redaction is one of the new technologies which can help manage evidence more efficiently. Here are three ways how.    

1.      Reduces Time:

Depending on the length of the raw video evidence collected, the manual redaction process can take anywhere between 8 to 10 hours to complete per hour of video. This process involves viewing the video in its entirety, finding the subjects whose identities need to be redacted (blurred), and then editing each of those frames manually. However, using AI Video Redaction, most of this process can be done simultaneously. The footage is analyzed in minutes via an analytical process, the faces of all the subjects are identified thereby redacted, and possible problem areas which need further attention are highlighted for the officer or technician to look over. The result of this AI-Assisted Redaction application is a process which takes 90% less time to complete, making a 10-hour job just 60 min.  

2.      Greatly Reduces Costs:

The time-consuming nature of the manual video redaction process goes hand in hands with the costs associated with such services. As law enforcement agencies capture more evidence, the increased workload will inevitably need more resources, thus requiring a larger portion of an already limited budget. This model is unsustainable. However, using AI-Assisted video redaction, the extreme efficiency gained in time, also means fewer resources are needed, even when facing a growing workflow, resulting in fewer funds needed for such essential services.

3.      Improves the Reach of Evidence

Beyond internal cost savings and efficiencies, responding to FOIA requests in a timely manner is yet another challenge that many law enforcement agencies face today. In fact, this is perhaps one of the most crucial challenges which law enforcement professionals face, as any delays meeting these requests can lead to a negative view of the agency among the community it serves, and can even delay ongoing investigations. With the aid of AI-Assisted Video Redaction these scenarios are not likely to happen, as the improvements in efficiency benefits not only the agency but the whole chain of organizations dependent on access to such evidence.

For departments seeking to comply with the influx of FOIA requests, forecast a predictable budget, and divert more funds to community policing rather than employing a staff of full-time technicians, AI-Assisted Video Redaction maybe the solution you have been looking for.   

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