New technology helps NCSO Crime Scene Detectives
Yulee, Fla. – The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit (CSU) recently obtained a new crime scene mapping tool from Laser Technologies, Inc., which collects 3-D measurements, to enhance the documentation of crime scenes.
This new measuring system now being utilized allows CSU detectives to document and photograph crime or accident scenes more quickly with laser technology.
“We are always looking for new ideas to make our job easier, more time manageable, more accurate and more efficient,” said Sheriff Bill Leeper. In an organized approach to processing a crime scene one of the important stages in processing that crime scene is scene documentation. “The scene documentation is a vital stage because it is the stage that’s functions create the permanent written or visual record of the scene, the conditions at the scene and the evidence on the scene,” Leeper said. One of the steps in this stage is the taking of measurements to construct a sketch.
Scanning a data’s translation into computer data models and applications benefits criminal investigations in at least five ways: it makes physical information easier to interpret; it gathers information that may be crucial later; information can be revisited years later in the event of cold cases; it can help to tell the story of how crimes occurred; and it makes for striking courtroom presentations.
Over the last decade, technology advances have had a significant impact on the work of crime scene investigators. Specifically, 3D laser technology is enabling detectives to capture accurate representations of crime scenes and then virtually reconstruct those scenes to help them better understand the environment and the events that took place.
NCSO Crime Scene Unit detectives are responsible for the documentation of major crime scenes including homicides, suicides, sexual batteries, armed robberies, shootings and suspicious deaths. The crime Scene Unit consists of specially trained detectives whose primary function is to identify, collect, preserve, and process evidence related to major criminal incidents. The Crime Scene Unit prepares evidence for the crime lab and presents evidence in court related to significant criminal events.
