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Just to stick up for the Forensics guys - it's not usually our fault unless there is actually evidence on there. Turn around times (at least in the UK) for actu
by ErrantX 17y ago
Just to stick up for the Forensics guys - it's not usually our fault unless there is actually evidence on there. Turn around times (at least in the UK) for actually processing evidence is less than a month.
It's the police/prosecutors that cause all the hold ups.
- markbao 17y agoSorry—definitely didn't mean to frame you guys. Definitely aware of that, which is why I mentioned law enforcement in general. The whole thing kind of makes sense (holding equipment to make sure no potential evidence is released without a final decision)—but it's still frustrating and it doesn't seem like there's a good solution that makes it easier for both parties.
- ErrantX 17y agoHeh, no worries :) in many cases illegitimate delays are simply due to incompetence, so it's good to complain then. Turn around is pretty good; we serve a mid to large police force in the UK (around 5000 computer investigations a year). Average return time for evidence where no charges were brought last year was about 2 1/2 months. Complaints over delays were in the 10's.
- markbao 17y agoWOW. That is really impressive. Serious kudos for efficiency. It's weird to think that at any given moment, you're subject to a search and seizure (or any other kind of law enforcement ...enforcing) which will interrupt your life for sometime around one month to (in most cases) a year or so. Really kind of makes you want to hustle and get to work when you're not being served a warrant :P
- ErrantX 17y agoAgain I can only speak for the UK but.. the chances of you having a search warrant issued on you is pretty low if you are not doing anything illegal.
- rbanffy 17y ago> chances of you having a search warrant issued on you is pretty low if you are not doing anything illegal. It's the definition of "illegal" that worries me.
- jrockway 17y agoEspecially in the UK, where writing a book that criticizes pseudoscience is "illegal", as is publishing photographs of celebrities. I'm surprised there are any journalists left there at all.
- dctoedt 17y agoWait a minute -- even when no charges are brought, you keep other people's computer gear, ON AVERAGE, for two and a half months? Like hell that's "pretty good" turnaround.
- ErrantX 17y agoWell, those are pushed up by one or two cases that took (to my recollection) the best part of 6 months to unpick. Also a reasonable number are charged on an unrelated matter (for example they are stopped for drugs possession and carrying cash (profits from crime) and have a laptop confiscated because most of them are money laundering the cash too. In those cases if you con't find money laundering it goes down as "not charged"). Of the rest; the vast majority were legitimately suspected of a crime (I can count on my fingers the number who were not - to my mind anyway). Proving it either way is, I feel, reasonable.