Met Police Seeks Specialist Firm to Securely Destroy Digital Evidence

London’s Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is seeking specialist companies to securely dispose of digital devices that have previously been held as criminal evidence.

The force has launched a market-engagement exercise for a service covering the secure collection, transportation and destruction of digital storage media, including mobile phones, hard drives and USB devices.

The MPS says the proposed service will place particular emphasis on “data irretrievability and evidential integrity”, ensuring that information stored on devices cannot be recovered after the exhibits are no longer required for investigations or court proceedings.

The procurement notice comes ahead of a planned formal tender, which the force expects to launch by the end of November. The MPS anticipates awarding an initial three-year contract, with options for two additional years.

The scale of the requirement reflects the volume of digital evidence handled by the force. Data cited in the procurement notice indicates that the Metropolitan Police conducts up to 50,000 digital forensic investigations each year.

The planned disposal service highlights an often-overlooked stage of digital evidence management: securely destroying forensic exhibits after their evidential value has ended.

For digital-forensics teams, the process is not simply about disposing of hardware. Maintaining evidence integrity through collection, examination, retention and final destruction is an important part of the digital evidence lifecycle.