The Law Enforcement Standard for Digital Evidence is a standard developed under the auspices of the Criminal Justice Chief Executive Officers Group (CJCEOs). The CJCEOs comprises the key justice agencies for NSW.

Information today is captured and exchanged using many different electronic technologies (e.g. both wired and mobile phones, closed circuit surveillance and broadcast video, text messaging, Internet). When this information is required by law enforcement agencies for evidence or use in court, then challenges emerge in relation to its conversion, playback and storage. In order to ensure effectiveness in the use of this type of digital information it is necessary to develop consistent and uniform standards regarding the transmission and receipt of data.

To this end, the CJCEOs have approved the Law Enforcement Standard for Digital Evidence.

The Standard requires information to be submitted in the following formats:

Video

All video is to be capable of being played on a standard DVD player or by Windows Media Player, without the requirement of additional codec or management. For legacy recordings, or pre ERISP recordings, the data will be on VHS video tape.

Audio:

All audio is to be capable of being played on a standard DVD or CD player or by Windows Media Player, without the requirement of additional codec or management.

Still Image:

All still images (including JPG, TIFF or other common format) are to be capable of being played on a standard DVD player or by Windows Media Player, without the requirement of additional codec or management.

Web Capture:

All web material is to be submitted as self-contained representations on disk or hard drive, capable of being played by Windows Media Player without the requirement of additional codec or management.

Virtual Crime Scene:

All virtual crime scenes are to be submitted on disk or removable hard drive, suitable for installation on a standard PC with Windows.

Media Labelling:

All disks supplied with briefs or submitted as evidence are to be clearly labelled with an index of the data on the disk and information on play requirements etc.

John Lee
Director General