From DVDs to Digital: How Humberside Police Achieved 1,500 Interviews in Seven Weeks
When Humberside Police went live with Davidhorn’s Digital Police Interview Recording (DIR) solution on 18th August, they were stepping into new territory. Seven weeks later, the results speak for themselves: 1,700 interviews created, 1,500 cases progressed, and 100% end-to-end success from interview creation to final storage.
The Challenge
Humberside Police needed to modernise their interview infrastructure and move away from physical DVDs. The goal was to integrate all interviewing solutions – victims, witnesses, and suspects – into a single point within their digital evidence management system.
“We needed to bring it into the 21st century,” explains the project lead, Detective Sergeant – Scott McCreight. “We needed to bring it up to date and make sure that we were in a position to continue with the excellent work already being carried out by our investigators by supporting them.”
Why Davidhorn?
The choice was built on an existing foundation of trust. “Davidhorn is a name that everybody in the force knows,” notes DS McCreight. The relationship was “based on trust, support, agility and the ability to be able to provide when it’s required.”
Darren Brown, Head of UK Sales & Operations at Davidhorn adds: “The Humberside DIR upgrade project was a great chance to continue our relationship with one of the front running forces for innovation in the UK.
Supplying the latest Davidhorn interview recorders and our Ark Interview management platform not only gives the officers a step up in their process but also enables investigations to move faster and more efficient.
As with any project there were learnings from both sides but seeing the numbers from Humberside and hearing how its helping victims of crime and officer wellbeing, is a moral and heartfelt step forwards in policing that we are hugely proud to be part of.”
Summary
When Humberside Police implemented Davidhorn’s Digital Interview Recording solution in August, results were immediate. In just seven weeks with minimal infrastructure – 12 fixed devices and 3 portable units – the force created 1,700 interviews, progressed 1,500 cases through the criminal justice system, and achieved 100% end-to-end success from interview to final storage with only 30 hours of downtime.
The transformation delivered critical benefits across the organisation. Officers no longer handle physical media after difficult interviews, with evidence automatically transferred and secured. Evidence is now available 24/7 for Crown Prosecution Service decision-making, eliminating previous barriers to charging decisions. SHA-256 digital fingerprinting ensures master copy integrity throughout the evidence lifecycle, while the system’s popularity among officers demonstrates genuine buy-in – they’re actively requesting DIR rooms over traditional methods.
“There’s a victim at the back of each one of those 1,500 interviews,” reflects Detective Sergeant Scott McCreight. “It’s given us confidence to use the system and our staff have bought into it.”
A Smart, Phased Approach to Digital Police Interview Recording Success
Rather than a force-wide rollout, Phase One deployed just 12 fixed devices and 3 portable units – less than 20% of total infrastructure. This included custody suites, vulnerable victim suites, and voluntary interview rooms.
The results were immediate. “The demand for it amongst our staff is huge. Actually, there is more demand than there was availability. They want it, they want to use it, they’re excited by it.”
The Impact
The numbers: In just seven weeks, with minimal infrastructure, the force achieved remarkable adoption rates with only 30 hours of downtime (due to a Microsoft upgrade, not the DIR system).
Officer wellbeing: “It’s good that our staff are able to do what they need to do during the interview, but in a relatively short period of time, they’re able to withdraw from that and take some time for themselves,” explains Detective Sergeant – Scott McCreight. No more handling physical media after difficult interviews – evidence is secure and automatically transferred.
Justice for victims: Previously, evidence piled up across multiple DVDs and documents. Now, “all of a sudden we’ve got all that information, that data readily to hand in a single place.” This means faster decisions and the ability to share evidence with the Crown Prosecution Service at any hour. “Two o’clock, 3 o’clock in the morning on a cold Tuesday night… we can actually share that information with a lawyer. We often heard: ‘I can’t make a decision on that because I can’t see it’ – well, actually now you can.”
Evidence integrity: SHA-256 digital fingerprinting ensures master copy integrity throughout the evidence lifecycle, eliminating risks of lost physical media and GDPR breaches. “I’ve always been taught that that interview is as important as that smoking gun, as that blooded axe,” reflects DS McCreight. “And we need to be in a position to treat those interviews in the same way.”
Humberside Police
is serving the coast, country and city areas across Hull, East Riding, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire in the UK, needed to modernise their interview recording infrastructure and move away from physical DVDs. The goal was to integrate all interviewing – victims, witnesses and suspects – into a single point within one digital evidence management system.
Lessons Learned
The project wasn’t without challenges. Early communication around security and VPN requirements needed improvement. “There was a breakdown in communications early in the project,” admits DS McCreight. “But as the project went on, there was a building of an understanding between both Humberside Police and Davidhorn.”
The key to success? Meticulous testing and focusing on ease of use. “Each device was tested by myself or one of my team as a standalone system. We checked every single piece of kit, we checked every recording, we checked the sound quality.”
When issues arose – like a flickering display screen – response was swift. “Straight away somebody jumped on board from product support… and that was done.”
Advice for Other Forces
The message from Humberside is clear: “Don’t rush it.”
“Set your stall out early. Make sure you understand what the solution offers, how it’s going to work within your own framework, and make sure that it fits and aligns with each part of that. If you can get the project to have simultaneous approaches across hardware and software installations, if you can make them aligned, it will speed up delivery.”
The Bottom Line
In seven weeks, Humberside Police progressed 1,500 cases through the criminal justice system using their new DIR solution.
“There’s a victim at the back of each one of those 1,500 interviews. That’s 1,500 cases that we’ve progressed in the criminal justice system,” reflects Detective Sergeant McCreight. “It’s given us confidence to use the system and our staff have bought into it and are using it.”
The best indicator of success? Officers are frustrated when DIR rooms aren’t available – because they prefer the new system to the old way of working.
Interested in learning how Davidhorn’s DIR solution could transform your force’s interview processes? Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
