Mobile apps built for real-world field use
Industry
Public Safety
Service
Technology Services
The operational reality
In policing and forensic work, evidence is often collected at the scene of crime, and not always in areas with reliable network coverage.
In practice, this means:
Evidence details are written down and later re-entered into the system.
Chain-of-custody updates lag what is actually happening.
Handovers between frontline staff and downstream teams might get delayed.
Extra rework and risk are introduced once staff return to a workstation.
These issues are most acute during scene attendance, regional operations, and time-critical forensic work, where evidence needs to be recorded accurately as it is collected, regardless of connectivity.
Strengthening mobile access in the field
The bdna Public Safety Platform already supports access in the field via mobile web browsers. To strengthen this access in frontline and scene-based work, we’ve developed native mobile applications that work alongside the web experience.
These native apps are designed for sometimes-connected policing environments, enabling officers and practitioners to capture evidence at the point of collection, even when networks are unreliable or unavailable.
The mobile applications support structured data capture with built-in validation and quality controls. This ensures information synchronises reliably with the case file and maintains continuity of evidence, rather than relying on unstructured notes that require later interpretation or re-entry.
In policing, there is a legal requirement to demonstrate that notes presented as evidence were recorded at the time, or while still fresh in the author’s memory. Recording information once, in a structured way, helps ensure evidentiary standards are met efficiently in environments where every minute counts.
The apps do not replace existing workflows. They reinforce them where frontline work is most exposed.
In real operational use, this supports:
- Recording forensic examinations, evidence collection, barcode scanning, and forensic photography directly at scenes of crime.
- Creating and managing exhibits, tracking movements, and actioning operational tasks while in the field.
- Continuing work securely offline, with controlled synchronisation back to the system of record once connectivity is restored.
- Dissemination of intelligence and automatic triggering of downstream workflows once information synchronises, supporting rapid suspect generation, including from latent fingerprint images.
This allows evidence to be recorded as work happens, rather than reconstructed later.
It also enables physical evidence lodgement to be completed without additional data entry when returning from the field, reducing risk during a critical continuity handover often performed when officers are fatigued.
What this supports in day-to-day work
For frontline teams:
- Evidence is captured once, at the scene.
- Less reliance on notebooks, cameras, and later data entry.
- Greater confidence that records support a secure chain of custody and meet evidentiary standards.
For downstream teams:
- Earlier visibility of forensic and exhibits activity.
- Fewer delays caused by missing, incomplete, or late field information.
- Clearer handovers between field work, examination, and investigation.
For organisations:
- Better continuity across forensic and property management workflows.
- Reduced transcription errors and operational risk.
- Stronger compliance, audit readiness, and operational assurance.
Discuss your mobile access in the field
Mobile access to forensic and exhibits workflows is supported through a combination of mobile web access and native applications, depending on operational needs and environment.
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