COEUR d'ALENE — Law enforcement agencies with the ability to access information from electronic devices might sound like an Orwellian nightmare.

But with criminals tapping into society's devices that store important information digitally, investigators often need digital help to solve big cases.

"This isn't like officers are going to be walking down the streets, grabbing your cellphone and looking at what you're browsing on the internet," said Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White. "This needs a signed warrant from the judge, which stipulates what we are looking for and allows us to look for those pieces."

White attended the monthly meeting of the city's general services committee Monday, seeking permission to pursue a $41,075 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. The grant would pay for Cellebrite UFED Pro Series components — things that would allow White’s department to forensically analyze mobile devices throughout the region. The grant has been used by the department to purchase costly equipment in the past, White said. For example, a grant last year allowed the department to buy equipment that allows investigators to map crime scenes.

"We bring it to a room or a street and it will quickly map a crime scene," White said, adding the device is the only one of its kind in the region. "It's an expensive piece of equipment and without the grant we would not have been able to purchase it."

In a staff report to the committee, Coeur d'Alene Police Sergeant Bill Tilson Jr. wrote that digital data often defines the outcome of criminal cases and requires "a certified, forensically proven way to extract, filter, analyze and share insights quickly." Suspects of all crimes, not just digital ones, often possess electronic devices that could contain critical information.

"I've used it in the past on homicide cases, missing person cases and some very, very big drug cases," White told the committee, recalling his previous law enforcement experience in Arizona. "It's a very useful piece of technology."

Tilson Jr. added that Cellebrite UFED Pro Components, along with proper training, will allow investigators to collect digital evidence such as pictures, video, emails, GPS data, and calendars — including information that has been deleted.

"In addition, the technology can collect call history and can compare across multiple devices to determine connections and patterns of a criminal enterprise," Tilson Jr. wrote.

Following White's presentation to the committee, Councilman Ron Edinger asked the chief if the city will be on the hook to match any funds should the department be awarded the grant. White replied that the grant does not require any funds from the city, and is just used to purchase equipment that the police department could not afford otherwise.

"Another reason we are applying for this is to help other agencies," White added. "We are going to be the only agency around that has this equipment and will be able to use this technology to hopefully aid their investigation.”

Councilwoman Amy Evans then asked White what would be included in the cost of the Cellebrite UFED Pro Series. White said it's one piece of equipment with different adaptors that allow investigators to access a variety of devices. It comes with a three-year warranty.

Annual updates to the equipment's software, White added, are not very expensive based on his previous experience using the device in Arizona.

When Councilwoman Kiki Miller asked White if the equipment could impact or threaten the privacy of the officers using it, White replied that the device is not networked.

"It's a stand-alone piece of equipment that you plug the device into," he said.

Members of the general services committee unanimously approved of White's request to pursue the grant. Next month, the entire city council will determine whether to give the proposal its final stamp of approval.