B.E.A.S.T. Tracks Evidence
in West Palm Beach, Floida

Department maintains integrity and control
by tracking evidence with 2D barcodes

The West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD) has a new tool to fight crime. CrimeFighter BEAST software is now installed in the property room to track crime scene evidence.

BEAST is an acronym for Barcoded Evidence Analysis Statistics and Tracking. The BEAST provides a computerized method to track evidence and maintain a chain of custody.

Systems Overview

The BEAST, developed by Porter Lee Corporation, Shaumburg, IL, automated the chain of custody by tracking evidence from its initial receipt at the property room, through submission to laboratories and courtrooms, and on to its final disposition.

The system utilizes two-dimensional (2D) PDF 417 barcodes to identify items, locations and processes. The PDF 417 format allows relatively large amounts of data to be stored within the code and provides a very unique and secure method of data transfer between the police departments and the forensic laboratory. The speed of evidence check-in and return is significantly reduced with the implementation of the barcode and virtually eliminates the need for duplicate data entry.

Process

Property room technicians catalog each case and affix bar coded labels to evidence containers. Storage lockers are identified with similar labels. When an item is relocated, bar codes are scanned. The computer prompts the operator for badge number and processing code. The chain of custody is updated automatically.

Installation and Training Options

Horton Engineering, a Florida based systems integrator provided the installation and training for the CrimeFighter BEAST. WPBPD realized a reduction in the learning curve associated with the transition to a new system by taking advantage of the services offered by Horton Engineering. Not only did the services include setup and training for the system, but also involved populating the system with pre-existing data.

Horton Engineering and Porter Lee Corporation worked together to import data from an Alpha 4 database into BEAST. The following table shows the size of the converted data.

Database	Approximate Size
Officers/Personnel	Over 600 Names
Drug Cases	11,000 Items
Currency Cases	2,700 Items
Firearm Cases	3,600 Items

Portable Operations

The Apex II� Portable Data Collector from Compsee, Inc., Mt. Gilead, NC, adds remote inventory capabilities to the evidence tracking system. Utilizing the Apex II allows the operator to perform a physical inventory of the storage lockers. Item labels are scanned at their location, the data is stored in the portable terminal and subsequently uploaded to the host PC containing BEAST. Inventory and exception reports generated by BEAST include:

Not Found in System
Not in Locker Status
No Locker Information
Wrong Locker Information
Missing Item

During remote data collection, the operator can update any listing. When the data is uploaded to the PC it will purge or update the database.

Report Generation

The BEAST is user configurable and offers many standard reports and letters associated with evidence tracking.

Reports include: Chain of Custody Process Report Item Disposition
Letters include: Lost Item Request for Destruction Auction Request Owner Notification Officer Disposition
* Other reports available upon request.

Statistics

User	West Palm Beach Police Department West Palm Beach, Florida
Application	Evidence Tracking
Technology	2D Bar Code Scanning Remote Scanning with a Portable Data Collector
Outcome	Maintain evidence integrity and control

CrimeFighter B.E.A.S.T.

A Computerized Barcoded Evidence Analysis, Statistics & Tracking ProgramUser

CrimeFighter BEAST is a comprehensive and simple-to-use evidence tracking system for maintaining evidence integrity and control, which is absolutely essential in the law enforcement community today. It features an intuitive Windows� graphical interface, which allows the user to not only track property, but facilitates evidence transfers to a forensic laboratory for analysis, promotes property control and allows for extensive reporting capabilities.

User friendly Microsoft Windows� environment
Network ready or stand alone versions
Maximize utilization of barcoded evidence for automation
Fast crime lab analysis report generation with Wizards
Extremely flexible and easily customized to meet agency needs

Software

Porter Lee Corporation � BEAST Software
Horton Engineering � Portable Data Collection Software

Hardware

IBM compatible computer � 8mb of RAM, 25 MB of space on hard drive
Additional hard disk space (approximately 50 MB per 10,000 cases)
Symbol LS 4900 � 2D Laser Scanner
Compsee Apex II � Portable Data Collector
Compsee Apex Communications Cradle
Eltron TLP-2642 � Barcode Label Printer

Systems Integrator

Horton Engineering

[email protected]

Horton Engineering provides turnkey integration solutions for automatic data entry applications. Utilizing both off-the-shelf and customized software, Horton Engineering provides solutions to commercial and industrial bar code applications.

Services include systems administration, custom software, performance monitoring, installation, computer networking and training.

B.E.A.S.T. Tracks Evidence in West Palm Beach, Floida

Department maintains integrity and control by tracking evidence with 2D barcodes