Patent ID: 8576283

Claim:
A system for tracking the chain of custody of evidence, the system comprising: a security video archiving system to electronically receive and store footage captured by security cameras in one or more retail environments; a physical evidence archival system to electronically catalog physical evidence associated with a plurality of security events, the physical evidence is physical evidence of a crime; a case management system to associate with each of the security events i) security video data that depicts activity related to the security event, ii) physical evidence related to the security event, and iii) one or more additional items selected from the group consisting of civil recovery information, criminal enforcement information, and internal investigation information, the case management system including a form manager to present an electronic form that identifies the security video data, the physical evidence related to the security event, and the one or more additional items and to permit a user to associate security video data to the security event by electronically selecting the security video data; and an encryption system for creating at least a first hash value for the selected security video data and electronic data associated with the physical evidence related to the security event, said encryption system being configured to automatically transmit the at least the first hash value to the case management system; wherein the case management system causes the at least the first hash value to be associated with the security video data and the electronic data associated with the physical evidence related to the security event and wherein the form manager electronically presents a representation of the at least first hash value along with the security video data, the physical evidence related to the security event, and the one or more additional items.