Public Records and Communications Retention

Digital Transparency in Law Enforcement: How Agencies Can Protect Officers, Ensure Compliance and Streamline Records Management

September 12, 2025by Smarsh

TL;DR: Law enforcement must archive mobile communications to ensure compliance with public records laws, protect officers, and strengthen investigations. Modern digital archiving solutions deliver automated capture, advanced search, and real-time monitoring — improving transparency, accountability, and efficiency.

In an era of increasing public scrutiny and rising demands for accountability, law enforcement agencies must navigate a complex digital landscape. From mobile communications to public records compliance, the ability to manage sensitive data securely and efficiently is not optional. Transparent and effective records management helps law enforcement agencies across the U.S. protect their officers and respond to open records requests.

Why mobile communications archiving matters in law enforcement

Law enforcement professionals rely on tools like text messaging, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams to communicate in the field. These platforms are fast and effective — but they also generate data that is subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Sunshine Law requests.

Whether responding to a high-profile incident, conducting an undercover investigation, or managing evidence for case management, agencies must be able to capture, archive, and search communications data quickly and securely.

Key considerations for law enforcement records management

Law enforcement agencies should prioritize three key areas when archiving communications:

1. Improve incident response and officer protection

Records requests can come in waves, causing teams to be overwhelmed without any warning. Agencies need to prepare for sudden surges in open records requests following events like:

Officer-involved shootings
Public protests
Natural disasters
VIP visits (e.g., presidential candidates or celebrities)

These agencies must ensure SMS messages and mobile app communications are archived and accessible. This helps protect officers while enabling fast, compliant responses.
In an investigative probe of the 2023 Hawaii wildfires, bodycam footage showed that police officers and dispatchers performed utmost dedication to duty.

2. Streamline digital evidence collection

During litigation, evidence must be collected for the case, and timeliness is a key factor in getting to a resolution. Manual processes like screenshots and email forwarding slow down investigations. Budget-strapped law enforcement agencies can reclaim vital resources and hours with automated capture of:

Text messages straight from carriers like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and other carriers
WhatsApp and Signal messages
Multimedia attachments and call logs

This data can be exported directly to case management software, saving time and improving investigative accuracy.

3. Enable compliant use of messaging apps

Law enforcement agencies that want to modernize and use the latest communications can only do so if they’re able to capture, retain and retrieve those records. Records management tools must enable secure archiving of various messaging apps, allowing officers to use these apps without violating state and local compliance laws.

Agencies should also consider archives that are prepared or have a roadmap that can handle future communication tools and trends.

Benefits of modern digital archiving for law enforcement

Built for actual law enforcement needs
Archives need to be able to handle the growing and increasingly varied and complex communications data that law enforcement agencies are capturing. However, capturing data is only half the puzzle piece. It’s equally important that archived data can be retrieved, produced, or used when it’s needed.

Use cases can include:

Advanced search filters for investigations and audits
Legal holds for long-term data retention
Granular user permissions and role-based access
No export fees for public records requests

Proactive monitoring with real-time oversight for police communications
With increasing public scrutiny of law enforcement, agencies must be proactive in maintaining trust in the communities they serve. It’s more important than ever that agencies can spot certain behaviors and train officers or employees before they become longstanding (but hidden) issues.

Automated keyword scanning through lexicon policies can flag phrases like:

“Off the record”
“Don’t tell anyone”
Inappropriate or sensitive language

Real-time alerts of these messages can help agencies stay ahead of potential issues, maintain oversight across all communications, and prevent embarrassment or reputational harm.

Smarsh is CJIS-compliant and trusted by law enforcement agencies nationwide

All data is stored in the Professional Archive, accessible via browser with support for SSO, multi-factor authentication, and IP whitelisting.

Smarsh supports hundreds of state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies across the US. Our CJIS-compliant archiving solutions are designed to meet the unique needs of public safety professionals. Smarsh Capture Mobile Suite supports over 100 content types and integrates with platforms like Microsoft Purview.

Ready to improve digital transparency and ensure FOIA-compliant mobile communications? Discover how Smarsh helps law enforcement agencies nationwide streamline investigations, protect officers, and meet CJIS requirements.

What is CJIS-compliant archiving in law enforcement?

CJIS-compliant archiving ensures that law enforcement communications data is stored and managed in accordance with the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) security requirements. This includes secure data storage, role-based access, encryption, and audit trails — all critical for protecting sensitive information and maintaining compliance.

How do police agencies ensure FOIA compliance for mobile messaging?

Agencies ensure FOIA compliance by capturing and securely archiving mobile communications such as text messages, WhatsApp chats, and Microsoft Teams conversations. Automated archiving tools allow agencies to quickly search and produce records in response to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Sunshine Law requests, reducing risk and improving transparency.

What are the benefits of digital archiving for law enforcement?

Digital archiving streamlines investigations, protects officers, and ensures compliance with public records laws. Benefits include automated data capture, advanced search for faster evidence retrieval, real-time monitoring to prevent misconduct, and seamless integration with case management systems.

Which mobile communication platforms can law enforcement agencies archive?

Modern archiving solutions capture communications from SMS carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile), encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Signal, collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, and multimedia such as images, videos, and call logs. This ensures all communications are preserved and accessible for legal, compliance, or investigative needs.

Why is proactive monitoring important in law enforcement communications?

Proactive monitoring with lexicon alerts helps agencies identify potential misconduct or policy violations before they escalate. By flagging phrases such as “off the record” or inappropriate language, agencies can take corrective action, protect their reputation, and strengthen community trust.

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Smarsh

Smarsh® is the recognized global leader in electronic communications archiving solutions for regulated organizations. Smarsh provides innovative capture, archiving, e-discovery, and supervision solutions across the industry’s widest breadth of communication channels.

Scalable for organizations of all sizes, the Smarsh platform provides customers with compliance built on confidence. It enables them to strategically future-proof as new communication channels are adopted, and to realize more insight and value from the data in their archive. Customers strengthen their compliance and e-discovery initiatives and benefit from the productive use of email, social media, mobile/text messaging, instant messaging and collaboration, web, and voice channels.

Smarsh serves a global client base that spans the top banks in North America and Europe, along with leading brokerage firms, insurers, and registered investment advisors. Smarsh also enables state and local government agencies to meet their public records and e-discovery requirements. For more information, visit www.smarsh.com.

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