Police report huge rise in digital investigations - as university launches new course
Police say 'every crime will have a digital evidence element whether this is from a mobile phone, dash cam or wearable camera'
Last updated 14th Oct 2025
There's been a 200 per cent rise in mobile phone investigations by Devon & Cornwall Police - as the force backs a new course to help recruit more digital forensic officers.
Last year, the force's special Digital Forensics Unit investigated more than 3,000 digital devices in relation to crimes such as child abuse, drugs, murder or terrorism containing more than two petabytes of data – the equivalent of two million movies or a 41,455 mile high stack of A4 paper.
The number of computers being investigated is down from around 2,000 in 2018 to about 500 a year now – whilst with mobile phones 2,000 are now investigated, up from 500 in 2018.
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez says ‘due to the ever-increasing expansion of technology, there are currently not enough digital forensic officers to keep up with demand' as she backs a new course by Plymouth Marjon University.
Digital forensic officers use specialised tools recover, analyse and present digital evidence from electronic devices to support investigations into crimes and security incidents, and help secure successful convictions.
The university has been running criminology and forensic degree courses for several years but this year launched an updated version - which includes a 'Forensic Investigation degree'. It's believed the 'vast majority of students want to get into police investigation roles such as being a crime scene investigator or a detective'.
The course includes a fully-equipped 'crime scene house' and laboratories, and the new begins whilst Cranfield University in Bedfordshire is axing its masters in forensic investigation course next year.
After meeting students at Plymouth Marjon, Ms Hernandez said: “Digital evidence plays a significant role in the majority of police investigations and is vital in helping arrest and convict offenders and give victims justice. The volume of that work is growing all the time.
“It was wonderful to see how the university has responded to this demand by creating a new course specifically aimed at boosting recruitment numbers within forensics, particularly digital forensics. The students I met were enthusiastic and committed, and have given me great hope for the future.”
Steve Slater, Head of Digital Forensics of South West Police Collaboration, said: “Digital evidence has experienced the highest growth in demand policing has faced over the last decade.
"Every crime will have a digital evidence element whether this is from a mobile phone, dash cam, wearable camera, or home ‘internet of things’ devices.
“Digital evidence provides a wealth of information to support victims of crime, from traditional evidence such as illegal content but, increasingly today, the location of users, movements, and timeline of events and also invaluable health information from wearable devices.
“As society continues to evolve with automation, AI and technology, Devon & Cornwall Police is committed to maintaining pace with society’s use of this technology, supported through the Police Reform Act and Policing Vision 2030. We’re already three years into a five-year investment plan to increase our capabilities and resources in digital forensics and are leading the way nationally in many areas.”
Course leader Dave Moore previously served with Devon & Cornwall Police for 28 years and all tutors have experience working in the field, alongside being academics, and frequently invite guest lecturers to share their experience as well.
Professor Claire Taylor, Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth Marjon University, said: "The course features practice-based learning, simulation activity based in our crime scene house, access to specialist labs and high-quality academic credentials, as reflected in our national rankings including being a UK top 10 university for teaching quality.
“It has been great to welcome the Police and Crime Commissioner who was very interested in seeing at first-hand what we are achieving."