Snapshot
- Client: California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
- Sector: State government, investigations
- Solution: VIDIZMO DEMS
- Field offices: 170+
- Deployment: Azure Government Cloud
- Compliance: CJIS
- The shift: From CDs and thumb drives to video that is searchable by spoken word from any office
About the California DMV
The California Department of Motor Vehicles manages vehicle registration, driver licensing, and road safety across the state, and it investigates fraud, misconduct, and other irregularities tied to registration and licensing. With over 170 field offices serving millions of residents, its work includes extensive field investigations and internal audits that generate large volumes of digital evidence.
The Challenge: Evidence Scattered Across Offices Statewide
For years, investigators collected evidence locally and stored it on CDs and thumb drives spread across DMV offices throughout California. Finding the right evidence took considerable time, because files first had to be categorized, labeled, and made searchable.
Since storage was disconnected, investigators in different counties and cities struggled to collaborate, and files often had to be physically retrieved or moved between locations. The approach slowed investigations and raised real concerns about chain of custody and the protection of sensitive data.
There was also an access problem. Field investigators could not reach certain confidential evidence held by Internal Affairs, which left gaps in transparency and accountability, while the privacy of sensitive information still had to be protected.
The Solution: One Secure Repository on Azure Government Cloud
The DMV deployed VIDIZMO DEMS on its Azure Government Cloud, giving investigators a centralized, secure repository for evidence from dashcams, bodycams, and CCTV cameras. Loose CDs and thumb drives were no longer part of the process, and evidence could be reached remotely from any DMV office in the state, which improved coordination across cities and counties.
Automated transcription and metadata management let investigators search inside video files by the words spoken in them, which made retrieval far quicker. Role-based access control restricted confidential content to authorized users only. For Internal Affairs, the platform provided a separate, customizable portal with its own workflows, security protocols, and logs, so the division could maintain chain of custody and keep evidence admissible in court.
The Results: Faster Retrieval and Controlled, Statewide Access
Centralizing evidence changed how investigators across 170 offices find, share, and protect it.
- Scattered CDs and thumb drives gave way to one centralized repository reachable from any office.
- Automated transcription made video searchable by spoken word, cutting manual effort during retrieval.
- Role-based access kept confidential evidence limited to authorized users.
- Activity tracking on every file supported evidence integrity and accountability.
- Internal Affairs gained its own portal with tailored access and chain-of-custody logging.
Want to see how VIDIZMO DEMS would handle your agency's evidence? Request a free trial or contact us.
VIDIZMO Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) is a CJIS-compliant, AI-powered digital evidence management system for secure ingestion, storage, management, analysis, and sharing of digital evidence.
