Police Evidence Labs Temperature Monitoring

Police Evidence Labs Temperature Monitoring

Police evidence labs are facilities where forensic evidence is analyzed and processed to help solve criminal investigations. 

These sorts of labs are responsible for the analysis and storage of a variety of physical evidence collected from crime scenes. This may include fingerprints, DNA samples, firearms along with many other materials that assist investigators in identifying suspects and building criminal cases. 

Among other considerations, temperature is an essential factor in most evidence-processing scenarios. This is simply because temperature fluctuations can affect the stability of the evidence and the accuracy of the eventual results. 

Many law enforcement agencies across the country are adopting temperature monitoring solutions as part of their larger programs to protect evidence crucial to the prosecution of criminals and to ensure due process is secure for those presumed innocent. 

This article will highlight how and why agencies are adopting these technologies and will provide some simple guidance on what law enforcement and justice professionals should look for when considering their options in this growing industry. 

The remote wireless temperature monitoring industry is evolving rapidly and law enforcement professionals responsible for protecting evidence will be well served to conduct research and compare providers before selecting a vendor as the wrong choice could lead to the loss of evidence and ultimately a criminal going free. 

Police Evidence Labs Temperature Monitoring - How does temperature impact evidence?

Temperature and humidity are in many ways the enemy of so many sensitive and perishable assets that demand to be stored (sometimes indefinitely) in a highly controlled storage device. 

Sonicu helps hospitals and laboratories store assets like blood, pharmaceuticals, research, plasma, food for patients with our simple and affordable temperature monitoring systems that can be installed and configured in about 90 minutes and provide enduring return on investment thanks to the robust alerts and alarms as well as powerful compliance reporting that will help law enforcement agencies prove to juries and judges that evidence was stored appropriately. 

Below is a list of materials that could be stored by law enforcement agencies: 

• DNA samples are regularly used as evidence in criminal investigations, but are known to be extremely susceptible to changes in temperature. For example, when a DNA sample becomes exposed to high temperatures, it can degrade and the DNA strands can start to break apart. This makes it impossible to obtain accurate results from such a sample.

• Firearms are frequently utilized in criminal investigations and the condition they are in and their ballistics can prove to be critical pieces of evidence. However, when firearms are not kept and stored at the right temperature, they will start to rust and corrode. This occurrence can potentially affect the precision of ballistics tests. 
  
  
• Many forensic tests require the use of diverse chemicals which can be sensitive to fluctuations in temperature. For instance, some of the chemicals used in drug tests can break down or evaporate if they are stored at the wrong temperature levels.
  
  
• Other materials often utilized as police evidence including blood samples, fibers, and fingerprints are sensitive to changes in temperature. So when they are not stored at the appropriate temperature, they can deteriorate or become contaminated and potentially impact the accuracy of results.
  
  
• Electronic media can be damaged when stored in areas where temperatures and humidity vary significantly
  
  
• Electronic devices, such as cameras, copy, fax and answering machines, can be damaged when stored in areas where temperatures and humidity are not strictly controlled
  
  
• Ideally, bloodstained items should be stored in a temperature-controlled environment (between 60-75 degrees, with less than 60% humidity). Never expose the container to extreme heat, such as from a heater vent and avoid exposing the container to direct sunlight. 

To avert all the above-listed issues, police evidence labs are specifically designed with strict temperature controls in mind. 

Also, police lab technicians must undergo training to be able to handle and store evidence properly. 

Lastly, temperature monitoring devices are used  inside police evidence labs to continuously monitor and log  temperature readings. 

Should these readings fall or rise beyond the acceptable range, alarms will then be triggered. In turn, police evidence lab technicians can rapidly determine issues and take corrective action to guarantee that evidence remains stable and accurate. 

Many law enforcement governing bodies are making temperature monitoring of evidence cold refrigerators and freezers part of their accreditation process, recognizing that losing a criminal prosecution due to preventable evidence degradation may undermine trust in the judicial system at large and at the local agency which failed to safeguard the evidence. 

While Sonicu has built its business and reputation serving healthcare and life science organizations with trusted and reliable temperature monitoring solutions, the same fundamentals of critical asset protection and compliance reporting apply. 

Today we help scores of healthcare and research professionals with our smart alerts (including phone call alarms) and compliance reporting features and virtually eliminate the need for manual logging to ensure temperature integrity. 

These case studies show how Sonicu customers leverage our remote wireless temperature monitoring system to automate compliance and protect their assets and organizations. 

Simply replace nurse with evidence technician and laboratory research professionals with detective or investigator and you can appreciate how our system can serve your law enforcement agency. 

Indiana University Health: Enterprise Hospital For Temp, Humidity, Air Pressure

Problem: Server Based Monitoring lacking Enterprise Visibility 

Solution: One Window into all monitoring across dozens of facilities 

Cryopoint: Ultra Low Cold Storage, Research, Lab 

Problem: Too many hours spent on manual logging and calibration 

Solution: Reduced Manual Logging and Done For You Calibration 

MiraVista Diagnostics

Problem: Burdensome, labor-intensive legacy temperature monitoring 

Solution: Remote, wireless autonomous monitoring to drive down manual processes 

Police Evidence Labs Temperature Monitoring - How do temperature monitoring systems function in the police evidence labs setting?

Temperature monitoring sensors in police evidence labs work by continuously measuring the temperature levels within these facilities and providing alerts if the readings rise or fall outside of the acceptable range. 

They also log the temperatures continuously to help with any compliance reporting requirements. 

A system like Sonicu will record the temperatures indefinitely, storing it on the AWS Cloud for maximum security and reliability. 

That means your department’s temperature logs will be ready in a few simple mouse clicks when an officer of the court requires proof the evidence has been stored appropriately even when a trial occurs months or years after the initial evidence collection and storage. 

There are a number of these devices that are utilized in police evidence labs. This may include:

• Wired and wireless sensors are usually placed throughout the lab and cold storage environment and are designed to continuously take temperature readings. These devices can be connected to a central monitoring system that displays the readings in real-time and can trigger alerts should any issue be detected. Sonicu prefers to use wireless sensors for maximum flexibility.
  
  
• Data loggers are yet another system commonly used in police evidence labs to monitor temperature levels. These sensors are positioned in certain locations throughout the lab and continuously record temperature readings. Ultimately, the data stored in data loggers may be analyzed to ensure the lab is maintaining the right temperature levels. While data loggers continue to be pervasive, they present significant obstacles to the safeguarding of evidence, including the lack of real-time alerts when a temperature excursion occurs as well as not being back up by the cloud storage. 
  
  
• Cloud-based temperature monitoring systems are becoming increasingly popular in police evidence labs. These systems utilize wireless sensors and a cloud-based platform to effectively monitor temperature readings in real-time.  Lab technicians can access the platform from anywhere and alerts can be sent via email, text or even phone calls. The prices have fallen and simplicity of installation has increased significantly in recent years, making these systems far more applicable to law enforcement applications. 

If any issue is then detected, many of  these police evidence lab temperature monitoring systems are designed to make sure that evidence remains stable and accurate. 

This means they can be invaluable in enabling lab technicians to rapidly identify any problem and take corrective action to guarantee evidence is not compromised.

Sonicu Installation Video:

Cold Storage Install Demo: How easy it can be to install cold storage monitoring 

Cloud-based Police Evidence Temperature Monitoring Systems

As it was earlier noted, a  variety of temperature monitoring systems use wireless sensors that transmit data to a cloud-based platform where it is processed and displayed in real-time. 

Police lab technicians may access the system from anywhere, with a good internet connection using a web-based or mobile app. This enables them to keep tabs on temperature levels, set up alerts and notifications in real-time, and generate reports on demand.

The Sonicu mobile app is trusted by scores of professionals who rely on temperature monitoring to protect assets critical to their core job responsibilities. 

The app is available via iOS (Apple) and Android devices and is always free. It also features an Installation Wizard that makes it easy to get up and running simply without the need for professional installation. 

Cloud-based temperature monitoring sensors like those from Sonicu typically come with standard features such as

• remote access
• real-time alerts 
• automated reporting capabilities
• and historical data analysis

All these features can help police evidence lab technicians be more proactive in maintaining suitable temperatures within such facilities. This is crucial for preserving the integrity of evidence. 

One of the key benefits of these temperature monitoring systems is they are easy and convenient to set up and can be up and running with minimal hardware installation. 

The wireless sensors may be installed in various locations throughout a police evidence lab without the  need for wiring. This also makes such systems much more flexible, permitting lab technicians to conveniently move sensors around as needed. 

Yet another key advantage of this sort of temperature monitoring system is it offers data security and redundancy. The data is stored securely in the cloud. This definitely means that it is never vulnerable to physical damage or theft. 

Sonicu also features DataSync, meaning our communicating meter will store your temperature data locally in the event of a power or network outage for months. The data will be routed to the cloud when power or network connectivity is restored, and you’ll get an alert on your SoniCloud app showing the power of connectivity has been interrupted. 

We’ve built this sort of redundancy to protect expensive and often scarce pharmaceutical drugs as well as priceless research and fertility treatments like human sperm and eggs. 

These sort of redundancies will also protect law enforcement agencies from the perils and reputational risk of losing critical assets to a temperature excursion. 

These systems are an effective and efficient solution when it comes to monitoring temperature levels in police evidence labs. They offer real-time monitoring, flexibility, and ease of use.

All this makes it infinitely easier and convenient for lab technicians to maintain the appropriate temperature levels within such facilities and preserve the integrity of evidence. 

Sonicu also includes key features that not every solution provider delivers, including: 

• Live U.S.-based phone support 
• Unlimited training and support 
• Unlimited users: buy one system and you can connect your entire department 
• Lifetime warranty for all parts while under software subscription 
• Unlimited data storage: Keep your temperature logs forever

Conclusion

Temperature is one of the key variables when it comes to the proper functioning of police evidence labs. 

Maintaining the appropriate temperature levels consistently ensures that the integrity of evidence used to solve criminal cases is always preserved.

There are many temperature monitoring sensors available  in the market, but investing in a Sonicu system will deliver many essential characteristics, including 

• Affordability: Far less costly than many enterprise solutions 
• Simplicity: From installation and configuration to usage and support 
• Easy to scale across an organization 

These systems not only eliminate manual processes, but provide real-time alerts and data logging capabilities for analytics and reporting. 

While, at the same time, streamlining workflows and improving efficiency. 

Why Automated Monitoring:

Hospitals have pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other temperature-sensitive assets needing protection. 

These assets becoming too hot or cold can cost thousands and put patients at risk. 

Regulatory agencies require many departments to maintain records of temperature, humidity, and other settings throughout the hospital. 

This can add stress and tie up staff resources. 

Current Methods

Today, many facilities rely heavily on manual processes to maintain records and ensure compliance. This method can be labor-intensive and error-prone.  

Data-Loggers are prevalent but still require someone to visit each storage area every day. 

Loggers assist with compliance but rarely identify problems until it’s too late.

Sonicu Solution

Sonicu’s solution is a fully scalable, cloud-based solution that automates your monitoring processes across all departments. With 24/7/365 continuous monitoring, we help you:

• Protect Valuable Assets with instantaneous, customizable, and actionable alerts sent via phone, email, text, or pager.
• Improve Operational Efficiency by eliminating manual monitoring and paper logs
• Adhere to Regulatory and Compliance requirements by providing unlimited data storage, timely reporting, and NIST management.

What We Offer

Sonicu provides monitoring for 

• Temperature
• Humidity
• Sound
• Pressure 
• Power
• and a host of other monitoring needs

. Our flexible sensors can transmit data via 

• Wi-Fi
• 900 MHz, 
• or Cellular 

with  “plug and play” implementation. 

SoniCloud software platform provides alarm handling, real-time and historical data views, and advanced algorithms to detect and alert potential equipment failure.

We help you stay compliant with 

• Joint Commission
• VFC
• CDC 
• USP
• FDA 
• and other state and federal regulatory agencies

Our remote, wireless system provides 24/7/365 monitoring at desired intervals. Each probe comes with a NIST certificate of traceability and is ISO-compliant. 

Our re-calibration program easily and cost-effectively keeps you compliant for years to come. 

“Sonicu has been a powerful tool to identify which units are behaving out of spec and get our team
to fix them before we have a serious issue.”
Tim Livesay, Director, Hancock Regional Hospital Pharmacy Director