The Vancouver Police Department’s Digital Forensics Unit (DFU) has received a major boost thanks to the generous support of the Vancouver Police Foundation. With a $105,000 grant, coupled with $200,000 in Provincial funding, the VPD is now moving forward with a new, purpose-built Faraday Room, an essential upgrade that will significantly enhance the Department’s ability to process and protect digital evidence.
Digital evidence plays a pivotal role in modern policing. From smartphones and laptops to in-vehicle systems, today’s devices store massive amounts of potentially vital data, including messages, call logs, photos and GPS coordinates. This information is often key to solving serious and complex cases involving homicides, gang violence, organized crime, human trafficking, and internet child exploitation.
For example, in 2022, forensic examination of three mobile phones seized as part of a criminal investigation revealed a conspiracy to kidnap one person and murder two others. Using that information VPD investigators were able to prevent the kidnapping and murders. Further investigation identified three co-conspirators who ultimately pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit these violent offences and all three received lengthy prison sentences.
However, collecting, preserving and extracting digital evidence presents unique technical challenges. The best way to forensically examine these devices is inside a specialized, radio frequency (RF)-shielded enclosure, known as a Faraday Room, where the integrity of the data can be preserved and maintained for use in court.
Until now, the VPD’s Faraday Room, an eight-by-eight-foot single-door unit gifted in 2007, has struggled to meet the growing demand.
Recognizing the urgency, the Vancouver Police Foundation stepped in to help fund a new, state-of-the-art Faraday Room. The new space will significantly increase operational capacity, accommodating up to four personnel at once and featuring essential upgrades such as a double interlock door system, video monitoring, anti-static flooring, and integrated power supply to maintain device charge during processing. These improvements will directly translate into faster digital evidence processing, reduced risk of lost or compromised evidence, and significant cost savings.
Just as importantly, this new facility has been designed with future growth in mind. Its expandable architecture ensures that the DFU can continue to meet the increasing volume and complexity of digital investigations in the years to come. In fact, over the past five years, digital device submissions to the DFU have increased significantly, a trend expected to continue as technology becomes more deeply integrated into daily life and criminal activity.
The addition of the new Faraday Room complements broader improvements within the DFU, including an expansion and the hiring of two new examiners in 2024 through the City of Vancouver’s “100 new police officers” initiative. Together, these investments are strengthening the VPD’s forensic capabilities and reinforcing its commitment to public safety, justice, and operational excellence.
This critical infrastructure upgrade simply would not have been possible without the support of the Vancouver Police Foundation and our generous donors. By co-funding the new Faraday Room, the Foundation has helped ensure that the VPD remains on the cutting edge of digital forensics, able to meet the demands of today and tomorrow with the tools and technology required to keep our city safe.
The Vancouver Police Foundation supports programs and initiatives that fall within three streams: community outreach and engagement (including programs for women, youth and seniors); public and personal safety; and specialized equipment and technology. You can help make Vancouver safer for all by donating to the Vancouver Police Foundation.
