Transforming Evidence Management with Cloud Power 

The Utility, Inc. and AWS Partnership with Helena Police Department    

The Helena Police Department in Alabama serves a rapidly growing community where visibility, accountability, and operational agility are essential to maintaining public trust and officer readiness. Before implementing modern digital tools, the department faced critical challenges around video access, evidence integrity, and manual workflows that slowed response and strained resources.  

To address these gaps, Helena PD partnered with Utility, Inc., deploying a suite of integrated solutions including EOS by Utility™ Fusion body-worn cameras, in-car video, and the POLARIS by Utility™ digital evidence management system—all running securely on Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure. This powerful combination delivered the scalability, reliability, and speed Helena needed to modernize its operations.

AWS enabled Utility to deliver Helena’s solution with:

Real-time crime & digital evidence management, empowering faster public safety decisions with unified intelligence.

• AWS EC2 for flexible compute capacity to run backend services for video processing, storage, and analytics
• AWS RDS to securely manage structured evidence metadata with high availability and scalability
• AWS Cloud-native architecture to ensure rapid deployment, data redundancy, and compliance with criminal justice data standards

Real-Time Awareness, On-Demand Decisions

Previously, reviewing critical video meant physically returning to headquarters, uploading camera footage into a homegrown system, and then beginning the review process—often taking 30 to 45 minutes per incident. Today, thanks to Utility’s cloud-native platform powered by AWS, video is available instantly in the field.

"Block With POLARIS and EOS, we were able to access video on demand, on scene, and immediately make time-sensitive decisions with confidence and accuracy. That capability was used easily 75–100 times over the past year."

Helena PD Chief of Police, Brad Flynn

This shift eliminated costly delays and enabled command staff to make faster, more informed decisions. Agencies using Utility’s on-demand video access capabilities report decision-making time reduced by 30–50%, especially during critical incidents.

Evidence Integrity You Can Trust in Court

POLARIS dramatically strengthened the department’s ability to preserve the chain of custody and protect evidence from challenges during trial. Automated offloading, audit trails, and secure cloud storage on AWS provided confidence from the moment evidence was captured through courtroom presentation.

“POLARIS made evidence integrity cop-proof. There was no concern over video being altered or mishandled. It allowed us to preserve digital evidence in a way that couldn’t be questioned by a defense attorney. That was vital in securing convictions—both misdemeanors and felonies.”

Helena PD Chief of Police, Brad Flynn

Across the industry, agencies using Utility and AWS infrastructure report a notable decrease in evidence suppression challenges, resulting in more successful prosecutions and smoother discovery and pre-trial phases.

More Time in the Field, Less Time on Admin

Manual camera activations often meant missed footage, especially during high-stress calls. With Utility’s automated triggers and event-based recording—built to activate as soon as a call is dispatched—officers no longer had to worry about pressing record. Every moment was captured, hands-free.

“This solution was used on every single call for service. It ensured nothing was missed and gave officers the ability to focus on what mattered most—officer safety and the community. It easily saved us hundreds of hours over the year.”

Helena PD Chief of Police, Brad Flynn

Agencies using automated camera activation and integrated evidence workflows with Utility report hundreds of administrative hours reclaimed annually, redirecting officer time to higher-value policing and response.

Scalability That Matches Community Growth

Helena PD knew it needed a solution that could grow with its population and expanding operational needs. With Utility and AWS, the department found a future-proof infrastructure that would scale effortlessly—eliminating concerns of outgrowing the system.

“With the growth our agency was experiencing, we needed a solution that could grow with us. With Utility and AWS, it was obvious this would be the only solution we’d need now and in the future. That peace of mind meant everything.”

Helena PD Chief of Police, Brad Flynn

AWS’s elastic architecture ensures Utility’s solutions can support departments of all sizes. As Helena’s population continues to grow at over 6% annually, their investment remains aligned with long-term needs, without adding infrastructure overhead.