Devon is leading the way to address an urgent need to recruit more digital forensic officers to work in police forces.

Last year, Devon & Cornwall Police’s specialist Digital Forensics Unit (DFU) investigated more than 3,000 devices containing over 2 petabytes of data – the equivalent of two million movies or a 41,455-mile-high stack of A4 paper enough to go around the world 1.66 times – across crimes from drug offences to child abuse, murder, and terrorism.

Digital forensic officers use specialised tools to recover, analyse, and present evidence to support investigations and secure convictions. But the expansion of technology has created a shortfall in trained officers.

Delays in analysing digital evidence can have real consequences; slowing investigations, prolonging justice for victims, and, in cases where suspects are in custody, risking Custody Time Limits (CTL) expiration – potentially forcing the release of suspected criminals before trial.

Reducing backlogs is therefore critical to timely convictions and public confidence in the justice system.

Plymouth Marjon University has responded by launching an updated Forensic Investigation degree. The course offers practical experience in the university’s fully equipped crime scene house and laboratories, alongside a new digital forensics module.

Course leader Dave Moore, who served with Devon & Cornwall Police for 28 years, said all tutors have field experience and frequently invite guest lecturers to share their knowledge.

On October 13, Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez visited Marjon to meet students who could one day join Devon & Cornwall Police. She said: “Digital evidence plays a significant role in the majority of police investigations and is vital in helping arrest and convict offenders and give victims justice.

“The volume of that work is growing all the time. It was wonderful to see how the university has responded to this demand by creating a new course specifically aimed at boosting recruitment numbers within forensics, particularly digital forensics.”

Steve Slater, Head of Digital Forensics of South West Police Collaboration, said: “Digital evidence has experienced the highest growth in demand policing has faced over the last decade. Every crime will have a digital evidence element whether this is from a mobile phone, dash cam, wearable camera, or home ‘internet of things’ devices.

“Digital evidence provides a wealth of information to support victims of crime, from traditional evidence such as illegal content but, increasingly today, the location of users, movements, and timeline of events and also invaluable health information from wearable devices. As society continues to evolve with automation, AI and technology, Devon & Cornwall Police is committed to maintaining pace with society’s use of this technology.”

The force helped create South West Forensics, a collaboration across four south west police forces, and now more than 50 per cent of digital forensics nationally sit within traditional structures. Steve added: “Our DFU actively engages with partners from private industry and academia to ensure our workforce, processes and technology continue to evolve.

“I’m pleased to be working with Marjon University who clearly understand our demands and challenges.”

Professor Claire Taylor, Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth Marjon University, said: "Our Forensic Investigation programme is a direct response to regional need identified by key employers. The course features practice-based learning, simulation activity in our crime scene house, access to specialist labs, and high-quality academic credentials."

For more details about the course, visit BSc Forensic Investigation | Plymouth Marjon University