The digitization of investigation files will become mandatory nationwide on 1 January 2026. "In North Rhine-Westphalia, we have already sent over 60,000 cases purely electronically, which is unique in Germany!" says Jürgen Marten from the LKA. He is the project manager for electronic files in criminal cases (EAS) on the police side. The rollout is currently underway in Hamm, Düren, Düsseldorf, Mönchengladbach and Wesel as well as at the LKA. The police headquarters in Aachen, Bonn, Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Wuppertal have been in the pilot phase for some time. Marten: "The pilot phase is continuing. We are in close coordination with the authorities and are thus opening up new areas of crime and becoming increasingly user-friendly."
The 65-year-old criminal director sees many advantages in digitalization: "Everything is much faster and we no longer need these mountains of paper. It's much more sustainable. The documents and case files are fully text-searchable. What's more, nothing can get lost." Marten and his team support the authorities with the introduction of electronic criminal files: "We always offer on-site onboarding. We have also set up a hotline." Digital training is also available on Moodle.
The EAS project is the responsibility of the State Criminal Police Office and runs in close cooperation with the justice department. There is a joint steering committee. The police use the electronic court and administrative mailbox to transmit cases to the judiciary in the legally prescribed manner, and follow-up investigations are sent back or initiated cases are transmitted in the same way. For the police, the EAS is a module in the ViVA case processing system. "It's really easy to use. I can drag documents from ViVA directly into the electronic criminal file module," explains Jürgen Marten.
"The EAS project also gave rise to the idea for an app for digital questioning," says Dennis Sopp. The 40-year-old police director is the Technical Lead for EAS at the LZPD and was already part of the project beforehand. "When developing the app, we focused heavily on the electronic criminal file. This means the tool can be used optimally and everything remains digital." An external specialist programmed the app exactly according to the requirements of the NRW police. The case officers were closely involved right from the start. The app can be used via the iPad in the office, regardless of location. It makes the investigators' work easier, especially during questioning outside the office, such as in hospitals and prisons, during special operations or during searches. "Digital questioning is completely intuitive. The program guides me through the interrogation and asks me all the important questions. This means that no point can be forgotten," emphasizes Sopp.
In contrast to online questioning, which takes place via video chat and therefore overcomes distances, digital questioning creates mobility and avoids media disruptions. This means that, unlike online questioning, it can also be used regardless of the severity of the crime. One sticking point is the signature. The interrogated person can use the digital pencil to sign directly in the document, as well as add handwritten notes and sketches to the record. "In this way, the evidentiary value of the police interrogation is transferred to the main hearing via the EAS without media disruptions," adds Marten.
The app for digital interrogation meets the latest technical standards. Updates allow for quick changes to the program. For Dennis Sopp, all feedback from users is therefore valuable: "Only if the app is already being used a lot can we adapt it and improve it even further."
One person who already uses the app regularly is Chief Superintendent Michael Richter from Aachen Police Headquarters. "We are absolutely delighted," he says. In Aachen, 140 colleagues from the Crime and Traffic Directorates have already been equipped with tablets. Around 2,500 devices are currently available for the whole of NRW. In addition to Aachen, the app can currently be used in the LKA and, more recently, in Düren. Further rollout is already planned.
Recently, Richter conducted a digital interrogation at the Aachen Youth Welfare Office, for example. He questioned a 94-year-old victim at home as he was not mobile. "It's easier for the citizens and for me too, of course. In the past, I would have handwritten the questioning on site. But then I had to type them up again or scan them in the office. I can now simply file every document that I used to print in the electronic criminal file," says the 49-year-old
Even if there is no internet connection or the system fails, all data can be recorded in the app. The transfer to ViVA also works with a time delay. As soon as the interrogation is stored there, the head of the homicide squad, for example, can read it directly. If he still has questions, the investigator can follow up with the interviewee on site.
Michael Richter is also enthusiastic about the possibility of scanning ID cards with the iPad. All details are then automatically entered in the app. "It's fun to work with. The app is very clear and easy to use. Even older colleagues don't have to be afraid of it." The app for digital questioning is to be introduced as soon as possible.
