Optimizing Body-worn Camera(BWC) Footage in Macomb County Michigan Prosecutor's Office

There are twenty-two police agencies in Macomb County submitting body-worn camera and other digital evidence to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s office. These 22 agencies comprise over 1194 sworn officers (2019 FBI data) who can potentially submit body worn camera and other digital evidence along with charges to the prosecutor’s office.The first major deployment of body worn cameras was with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office starting April 2017. By December 2019 seven of the twenty-two policing agencies in the county had adopted body worn Cameras. Today 15 of the agencies representing 94% of the officers in the county have adopted body worn Cameras.In 2020 a newly elected Macomb County Prosecutor did recognize the flood of digital evidence and the need to try and get ahead of the trend. Two key and significant investments were made, standardizing the delivery of digital evidence using “evidence.com” by AXON and a digital case management system by Karpel. Axon was launched in the spring of 2022 and Karpel in 2023. These systems are now launched and fully functional providing a foundation to address the burgeoning volume of digital evidence which seems to continue to grow with adoption of technology by more agencies as well as businesses and the public.The Macomb County Prosecutor’s office proposal aims to enhance the offices’ ability to use and manage digital evidence from body worn cameras and other sources by creating a team focused on improving digital evidence efficiency and effectiveness.