An effective conversion from film to digital images requires more than a camera. A comprehensive digital imaging system is invaluable when storing, managing, and retrieving digital images.

From what is likely the first crime scene photo, a grainy image of Jack the Ripper victim Mary Jane Kelly, to the photos of the ax at the Borden household in Fall River, to the bloody front walk of Nicole Simpson, crime scene and evidence images have had great dramatic effect. The method for capturing them, from the early bulky box cameras, to today’s sleek digital cameras, has changed greatly. In all of photography there has been a gradual change from film to electronic image sensors.

Digital technology has revolutionized photography but the transition to digital is not without its trepidations. This transition is a significant concern for law enforcement.

In fact, the decisions for law enforcement today are not so much about the transition from film, as that has already happened in many agencies, but upon the extent of digital emersion. The decision-making process is now more important than ever. Thinking ahead is crucial. It is imperative to make the correct decisions early to avoid pitfalls later on.

The transition to digital, no matter where in the process an agency currently finds itself, can be fraught with problems. As in any police operation things that might go smoothly on a small operation could spell disaster in a large one with many components. A successful police operation needs proper preparation, planning, organization, and coordination. A successful switch to digital photography requires the same elements.

Obtaining only one portion of a complete system may result in disaster or at the least, a huge misdirection of funds and resources.