In this visit to York Regional Police’s Special Investigations and Support area, PolicingTV explores two of the most technically demanding parts of modern policing: digital forensics and forensic identification. The video shows how investigators work with phones, computers, firearms evidence, fingerprints, DNA and contaminated exhibits, and how specialist teams are adapting to the growing volume and complexity of digital and forensic work.
The piece also highlights the way new technology is changing investigations in real terms. From Faraday boxes and hardened devices to rapid DNA and ballistic comparison, York Regional Police demonstrates how specialist capability can speed up investigations, preserve evidence and improve safety. One example shows how rapid DNA helped reduce a serious firearms investigation timeline from 45 days to just four.
Key takeaways
- York Regional Police says around 95% of digital devices coming into forensics are mobile phones.
- A major theme is the growing complexity of digital evidence, especially with encrypted and hardened devices.
- Faraday boxes are used to isolate phones from networks and preserve evidence safely.
- The digital forensics team is now handling roughly 1,500 devices a year, with demand still rising sharply.
- In the forensic lab, contaminated drug evidence is processed in controlled conditions to protect staff from fentanyl exposure.
- Rapid DNA is cutting turnaround times from weeks to hours in some cases.
- One recent violent home invasion case saw a DNA-to-arrest timeline reduced from 45 days to four.
- York also uses advanced tools for fingerprint development, ballistic comparison, vehicle processing and firearm safety testing.
Chapters
00:34 – Inside York’s Special Investigations and Support team
01:44 – Digital forensics and the devices coming in
02:34 – Why Faraday boxes and hardened devices matter
03:49 – Encryption, extraction and the phones challenge
04:43 – Growing demand in digital forensics
05:23 – Inside the forensic identification lab
06:29 – How rapid DNA is speeding up investigations
07:48 – Advanced fingerprint and firearms technology
10:08 – Photography, packaging and vehicle bays
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