Good investigative and enforcement technology is not built in isolation - it’s developed through collaborative co-design

Policing and regulatory investigations are becoming more demanding, often without additional resources to match. Investigators are dealing with more complex matters, growing volumes of information, and increasing expectations to deliver outcomes quickly, all while working within tight budgets and limited staffing. 

This pressure was a key theme at the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency Policing Conference in November 2025.  During a panel on digital transformation, experts explored the opportunities and challenges modern technology brings to policing. One message came through clearly during the discussion. Meaningful digital transformation does not happen in isolation. 

Speakers emphasised that modernisation needs to be driven through partnership. This means close collaboration between policing agencies, technology providers and operational teams. Co-design, multidisciplinary teams and early engagement with vendors and stakeholders were highlighted as key ingredients for delivering solutions that genuinely support frontline policing. 

Queensland Police Service’s Laura Poidevin captured the sentiment perfectly: “There isn't one solution that's going to solve all of our problems. And it is about how we absolutely partner and work through and make those connections.” It is a reminder that co-design and collaboration are what make technology genuinely useful for investigators. From my own experience of more than 20 years in policing and investigative work, I have seen how understanding the pressures, legal requirements, and operational realities of investigators is essential to building solutions that truly support their work. 

This perspective strongly reflects my own experience working in investigative technology. At Comtrac, we have long believed that co-design is one of the most effective ways to build technology that actually works in investigative environments. 

At Comtrac, co-design is central to everything we do. It is part of our DNA. From the earliest stages of product development through to new feature releases, we work closely with investigators, regulators and operational teams across our client community. Their experience directly shapes how the platform evolves, ensuring the technology reflects real investigative workflows and evidentiary requirements. 

Why co-design matters 

For investigations in particular, co-design is essential. 

Investigators operate within complex legal frameworks, strict evidentiary requirements and often high-pressure operational situations. Technology that is developed without understanding these realities can quickly become another administrative burden instead of a tool that helps investigators do their job. 

Co-design helps address this challenge. When investigators, operational leaders and technologists work together early in the development process, solutions can be shaped around real investigative workflows and evidentiary requirements. 

In 2024, we had the opportunity to apply this approach while working closely with operational teams and frontline officers from the Queensland Police Service.  

The depth of operational experience on both sides helped shape an approach that has since become a core component of our AI offering — providing a foundation that can be applied across many jurisdictions and government agencies. 

AI as an enabler, not a replacement 

Artificial intelligence is now part of the broader conversation in policing and regulatory environments. Like any emerging technology, its role needs to be considered carefully. 

Investigations rely heavily on judgement, context and legal interpretation. These are areas where human expertise will always remain essential. The goal of AI should therefore be to support investigators, not replace them. 

This is where co-design becomes particularly important. By involving investigators directly in the development process, AI capabilities can be built around real investigative workflows and operational pressures. Instead of introducing technology that disrupts established practices, co-design helps ensure that new tools fit naturally into the way investigations actually unfold. 

When developed in partnership with operational teams, AI can help by: 

• Structuring and organising investigative information 

• Identifying connections across large volumes of evidence 

• Reducing administrative workload 

• Supporting the generation of court-ready documentation 

• Improving collaboration across investigative teams 

The objective is straightforward. Investigators should spend less time on administrative tasks and more time applying their expertise to analysis, strategy and decision making. 

A collaborative digital future 

This approach also aligns with the broader vision outlined by the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency through the Australia and New Zealand Policing Collaborative Digital Framework. 

The framework highlights the importance of building a more connected digital policing ecosystem. This includes enabling agencies to work together more effectively, improving information sharing and encouraging innovation through partnerships with industry and academia. 

A key theme within the framework is that digital capability should support frontline personnel by reducing administrative burden and improving the speed and quality of operational decision making. 

Achieving that vision requires technology that reflects operational realities. That is why collaboration between agencies and technology partners is so important. 

Experience matters in co-design 

At Comtrac, collaboration with investigative agencies has always been central to how we design technology. 

Our work across law enforcement, regulatory bodies and investigative teams has consistently shown that the most effective systems are those built alongside the people who use them every day. Investigators understand how cases develop, how evidence must be managed and how systems must align with legal and procedural requirements. 

When this operational expertise is built into the design process, technology becomes more intuitive, more practical and far more likely to deliver real outcomes. 

This collaborative approach is also shaping the next evolution of the platform. Later this year we will release Generation 2 of Comtrac, which has been developed through extensive collaboration across our client base. 

The collaborative work undertaken with the Queensland Police Service in 2024 reinforced the value of this approach. It also helped shape capabilities that support investigators while aligning with emerging national AI governance frameworks. This work was recognised through Comtrac’s acknowledgement in the Telstra Best of Business Awards for Embracing Innovation. 

One of the key initiatives within Generation 2 is the introduction of AI Forms. These capabilities use AI services to assist investigators with the population of pre-set form templates by extracting relevant information from evidence sources such as body worn camera footage, witness statements and interview audio. The goal is not to replace investigator judgement, but to significantly reduce the administrative effort involved in preparing structured documentation. 

Looking ahead 

As policing and regulatory environments continue to evolve, the demands on investigators will only increase. Agencies are managing growing volumes of digital evidence while responding to more sophisticated and complex forms of crime. 

Technology will play an important role in helping agencies meet these challenges. However, the most effective solutions will not come from technology alone. They will come from collaboration. 

The real opportunity lies in equipping investigators with tools that reduce administrative burden, strengthen evidentiary processes and support better investigative outcomes. When technology is built in partnership with those who use it, it becomes far more than just another system. 

It becomes a capability that helps investigators do what they do best. Protect the community and deliver justice.