Criminal investigations are undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history. From digital forensics to artificial intelligence (AI)-powered analytics, technology is reshaping how law enforcement professionals collect, analyze, and act on evidence.
At its core, a criminal investigation is the process of uncovering the truth, determining how a crime occurred, identifying suspects, and gathering the evidence needed for prosecution. But in today’s data-saturated world, that process looks far different than it did even a decade ago.
Every interaction, from text messages and body-worn camera footage to surveillance video and social media posts, can hold vital clues. Managing that information manually is no longer practical. That’s where AI and investigative technology come in.
What does a criminal investigator do and how is that role evolving?
Traditionally, a criminal investigator was tasked with gathering physical evidence, interviewing witnesses, and building a case through methodical, boots-on-the-ground work. But as crimes have gone digital, so too has the work of the investigator.
Today’s investigators must be as comfortable analyzing metadata as they are conducting interviews. They might review hours of CCTV footage, correlate multiple data sources, or track a suspect’s digital footprint across platforms.
In this new reality, AI-assisted criminal investigations act as a force multiplier, helping investigators surface leads faster, find connections humans might miss, and manage the growing volume of digital evidence efficiently.
The challenges of modern investigations
The need for AI tools has never been greater for police agencies. According to a survey by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) released late last year, many departments are operating at a nearly 10% deficit. A significant portion of these departments (65%) are reducing services or specialized units, like detectives, to maintain patrol staffing.
Recruitment and retention have become major challenges that have downstream impacts to how many crimes can actually get solved simply due to what resources are available. The Police Executive Research Forum reported that fewer people are becoming police officers, with many resigning or retiring early for various reasons.
I was a former homicide investigator with the Antioch Police Department and now work at Veritone, helping agencies like the one I used to work for overcome many of these challenges. In a blog earlier this year, I discussed how during my decade-long tenure, the number of officers remained nearly the same despite a 30% increase in the city’s population and rising crime rates. Investigators like me had to prioritize cases, often focusing on violent crimes over property crimes due to limited resources.
Amidst these realities for agencies, AI can help augment the capabilities and bandwidth of their current staff so they can “punch above their weight” with AI. That starts by bringing everything together in one, cloud secure place.
Centralizing evidence: the key to unlocking AI’s full potential
To fully realize the power of AI, investigators must first centralize their evidence. Disconnected systems and scattered digital files make it nearly impossible to run advanced analytics or identify cross-case correlations.
By consolidating all case materials, from video and audio files to digital documents and social media captures, into a unified platform, investigators can apply multiple AI capabilities simultaneously to uncover insights that would otherwise remain hidden.
Once centralized, agencies can leverage a range of AI tools, including:
- Person and vehicle of interest tracking across hours or days of surveillance and body-worn camera footage.
- Automated redaction to protect personally identifiable information (PII) before evidence is shared or disclosed.
- Speech-to-text transcription and language translation to make audio evidence searchable and accessible across languages.
- Object identification and classification, allowing investigators to detect logos, license plates, , weapons, or key items across footage.
- eDiscovery and cross-case searching, linking patterns, individuals, and evidence across multiple investigations.
This unified approach transforms AI from a collection of standalone tools into a cohesive investigative force, one that can dramatically reduce case turnaround times and improve the accuracy and completeness of evidence analysis.
Building a modern investigative workflow
The key to successful digital transformation of investigations isn’t just adopting new technology but integrating it seamlessly into existing investigative processes.
That’s why leading agencies are turning to platforms like Veritone Investigate, which unifies data ingestion, evidence analysis, and case management within a single AI-powered ecosystem.
With Veritone Investigate, agencies can:
- Ingest and analyze multimedia evidence from multiple sources, including video, audio, and text, with AI-driven speed.
- Search across cases to find connections between people, places, and events in seconds.
- Automate manual tasks, freeing investigators to focus on the insights that matter most.
- Collaborate securely across departments and jurisdictions with cloud-based accessibility and audit-ready transparency.
This shift isn’t about replacing human investigators, it’s about enhancing their capabilities with tools that keep pace with modern crime.
Even as AI becomes more embedded in law enforcement, the human element of investigation remains irreplaceable. Technology can surface data and patterns, but judgment, intuition, and experience still guide every decision.
The investigators of the future won’t be replaced by algorithms; they’ll be empowered by them. By automating the manual and surfacing the meaningful, AI enables professionals to focus on what they do best: uncovering truth and delivering justice.
Looking ahead
As digital evidence continues to multiply, agencies that embrace AI-powered investigation tools will be best positioned to stay ahead of evolving threats.
In the next article of this series, we’ll dive deeper into how modern police technology is transforming investigations and how AI is making sense of the overwhelming volume of data investigators face every day.
About Veritone Investigate
Veritone Investigate is an AI-powered platform designed to modernize investigative workflows. By unifying digital evidence, automating analysis, and empowering collaboration, it helps law enforcement agencies accelerate case resolution while maintaining accuracy, transparency, and chain-of-custody integrity.
Learn more about how Veritone Investigate is transforming criminal investigations.
Sources:
https://www.theiacp.org/resources/research-study/2024-recruitment-retention-survey-results
https://www.policeforum.org/workforcemarch2022
