Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz introduced some of the latest technology in crime fighting and investigations to Bexar County law enforcement and District Attorney departments this month.
A new 3D laser scanner can be used for crime scene investigations, vulnerability and threat assessments, post-blast investigations, police action inquiries, accident investigations and more.
The compact and portable device can measure 50,000 measurement points per second out to a range of 900 feet.
A camera within the system provides detectives with valuable photos to be used in data processing for producing diagrams, 3D scene reconstructions and other important documentation necessary to every crime scene investigation.
San Antonio and Bexar County is the first law enforcement agency in Texas to use this latest generation of technology.
A Leica ScanStation was used to document the complex crime scene last November at Fort Hood where a gunman killed 12 and injured 31.
Sheriff Ortiz stated that this system "greatly enhances the investigation of the crime scene and aids in the prosecution of the offender. Countless hours of investigative time will be saved by the automation at the crime scene instead of having to manually sketch the scene."
In April 2009 Chief William McManus introduced an earlier version of the system to the San Antonio Police Department stating the system "will revolutionize the way we conduct operations and investigations."
"This extremely versatile 3D Laser Scanning System has many capabilities that include scanning, analyzing, measuring and diagramming scenes. It will help with everything from homeland security vulnerability and threat assessment planning, to crime scenes, and ultimately forensic presentation in court." said Chief McManus.
The systems help crime scene investigators by freezing the scene in time by photographing and laser scanning the area.
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Comments
What software is used to handle all that point data? Most software would be overloaded by so much data. Thanks.
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