Digital Forensics Unit

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/25/003249/C

 Version Date: 19/06/2025

The Southwest Regional Forensics Department have provided the following information.

I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, in relation to your force's Digital Forensics Unit.
 
1.Device Submissions and Backlog
a. The number of devices currently awaiting examination.

Please note that no information is currently held for exhibit data. The following data is the breakdown by cases. Cases on average include 3 exhibits:

1. As of the present day, the number of devices that have been awaiting examination for under 30 days, 30 days - 3 months, 3 – 6 months, 6 months – 1 year and 2 – 3 years, 3 – 4 years, 4 years +.

Please see answer to question 1a.

1. Your force’s target turnaround time for completing forensic investigations.

• Immediate Priority – start within 1 day
• High Priority – start within 1 month
• Medium Priority – start within 2 months
• Low priority – start within 3 months

2.Staffing and Capacity
a. The number of full-time equivalent staff currently working in the DFU, broken down by role if possible.

• 2 x Managers
• 1 x Technical Manager
• 5 x Data Forensic Investigators
• 5 x Mobile Device Examiners
• 3 x Data Forensic Technicians

1. Any vacancies or staffing shortfalls affecting the DFU in the last 12 months.
   
   The following information is regarding current vacancies:

• 1 x Mobile Device Examiner
• 3 x Data Forensics Technician

3.Accreditation and Quality
a. Whether your DFU is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, and if so, for which types of digital forensic activity.

Yes, for the capture and preservation of data from Hard Drives, Solid state drives, Memory cards and USB devices.

4.Efficiency Measures
a. Whether your DFU uses triage processes or tools to prioritise devices or speed up examination.

Triage is used for the prioritisation and identification of primary computer devices seized that need DFU examination.

An examination strategy is established for all cases submitted to the DFU to ensure work conducted is proportionate and reasonable for the crime being investigated.

1. Whether your force uses any form of AI or automation to support digital forensic work.

Yes

1. Whether any part of your digital forensic workload is outsourced to external providers, and if so, approximately what percentage.

Outsourcing is being used to help reduce backlogs.

No information is held regarding the percentage.

1. Please disclose any regional or national forensic units you've collaborated with within the past year.

The DFU is part of a regional collaboration of forces between Avon & Somerset, Devon & Cornwall, Dorset, and Wiltshire Police Forces since 2015. This collaboration allows the sharing of demands and delivery of efficiencies across our forces through CPD, purchasing and procurement of systems and equipment and increased resilience between our teams. The DFU sits with the Scientific Services umbrella of Southwest Forensics and is supported through dedicated Regional Operations Managers and a Head of (DF) Department. Further collaboration occurs nationally through engagement with other police forces and the NPCC digital forensics groups. We also work with the Forensic Capability Network and utilise national support for accreditation requirements.