Disclaimer: Certain details in this project have been modified or omitted to protect sensitive information.
Overview
Motorola Solutions Overwatch is a secure, mobile-first video and location tracking solution designed for undercover officers engaged in high-risk field operations. The platform enables discreet, real-time GPS monitoring and encrypted video/audio recording directly from a smartphone. It ensures officer safety, improves response times, and facilitates digital evidence collection critical for prosecuting crimes such as narcotics and human exploitation.
Customer Challenges / Why Are We Building the Product?
Undercover officers face unique challenges that demand discreet, reliable, and secure technology:
Traditional covert gear, like body wires and hidden cameras, is bulky, complex, and can compromise an officer’s cover.
Supervisors lack real-time visibility into the undercover officer’s location or safety status during operations.
There is no reliable or discreet way for officers to alert command in emergencies without exposing themselves.
Evidence capture depends on manual transfers, which are slow, error-prone, and can jeopardize the mission.
Mobile-first tools for covert work are scarce, despite the urgent need to combat drug and human trafficking crimes affecting over 100,000 victims nationally.
Overwatch fills this critical gap, enabling safer operations and stronger cases through mobile-native, encrypted recording and tracking.
Customer Persona
Customer Journey Map
Product Roadmap
User Stories and Acceptance Criteria
User Story #1: Instant Recording and Live-Streaming Setup
As an undercover officer, I want to quickly and effortlessly start recording so that I can capture and live-stream evidence without drawing attention.
Acceptance Criteria:
The system shall automatically configure essential settings—including camera orientation and microphone selection—within 2 seconds of launch, without requiring any user input.
The system shall enable the officer to start recording and live-streaming with a single tap, achieving active recording and streaming within 10 seconds of launching the app, with zero additional manual setup steps.
User Story #2: Stealth Mode: Lock Screen Recording
As an undercover officer, I want to discreetly hide the recording screen so I can gather evidence without risking exposure.
Acceptance Criteria:
The system shall allow the recording screen to be hidden behind a lock screen with a single tap or button press within 1 second of the user initiating the action.
The system shall continue recording audio and video in the background with no visible UI elements or audible indicators on the device that would reveal active recording to an observer.
User Story #3: Real-Time Officer Location Tracking
As a supervisor, I want to monitor the real-time location of field officers so I can ensure their safety and respond to threats immediately.
Acceptance Criteria:
The system shall update each officer’s GPS location at least once every 3 seconds while the app is active and connected to a network.
The system shall maintain GPS location accuracy within a 3-meter radius under normal signal conditions.
User Story #4: Court-Admissible Recording Security
As an investigator, I want to ensure recordings have a valid chain of custody so they are admissible in court.
Acceptance Criteria:
The system shall encrypt all recording data using AES-256 encryption both at rest and in transit.
The system shall log and timestamp every access, modification, and transfer of recordings, storing these logs in a secure and auditable trail.
The system shall require user authentication for any action involving recordings, including viewing, downloading, or sharing.
The system shall generate tamper-evident metadata or digital signatures for each recording to detect any unauthorized changes.
The system shall store audit logs in an immutable format that prevents alteration or deletion.
User Story #5: Auto-Sync Recordings with Offline Support
As an undercover officer, I want my recordings to automatically sync to a secure cloud immediately after stopping the recording so that my evidence is safely backed up without extra effort. If I’m offline, I want the recordings to be securely stored locally and synced automatically once I reconnect to a network, ensuring no data is lost.
Acceptance Criteria:
The system shall upload recordings to the secure cloud immediately after the user stops recording if a network connection is available.
The system shall securely store recordings locally on the device using AES-256 encryption when a network connection is not available.
The system shall automatically sync all locally stored recordings to the secure cloud within 5 seconds of re-establishing a network connection.
The system shall ensure zero data loss during offline storage or subsequent syncing to the cloud.
The system shall display a confirmation notification to the user once a recording has successfully synced to the secure cloud.
Risks
Business Model
B2G SaaS model targeting law enforcement agencies and task forces
Annual license per police department
Add-on revenue from:
Cloud storage tiers for digital evidence
Integration with CAD/RMS systems
Advanced dashboard analytics for command centers
Go-to-market focus:
Agencies tackling drug/human trafficking
Federal grants & special operations funding
Trade shows (e.g., NATIA, NTOA, and IACP) and reference pilots
System Architecture
MVP
Launched Features:
Disguised mobile app with encrypted video/audio recording
Background GPS tracking (3s intervals)
Cloud-based evidence storage with timestamps
Offline recording + sync on reconnection
Supervisor web dashboard for real-time location view
Device health monitoring + Signal strength alerts
Impact:
Used successfully by multiple narcotics and trafficking task forces
Positioned Motorola to lead the mobile-first public safety operations market
Used by more than 125,000 officers across North America and top government agencies, including the DEA and the FBI