Ready Room

The National Commission on Forensic Science will hold its fourth meeting on October 28-29, 2014, at the Office of Justice Programs in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public and will be streamed online. Continue reading →

By Frank J. Hahnel III, Oct. 27, 2014

Throughout the year, accident reconstruction conferences take place all over the country. These events provide an opportunity to learn the latest in investigative and reconstructive techniques, highlight the technology available, allow the time to test tool accuracy, and offer the occasion to network with peers. Continue reading →

On average, 150 U.S. law enforcement officers per year have been killed in the line of duty over the past decade. Approximately 60,000 officers are assaulted, and 15,000 are injured on an annual basis. Despite the dangers of their profession, more than 900,000 U.S. law enforcement officers continue to risk their lives for the protection of others and the safety of their communities. Continue reading →

October 1, 2014 - Leica Geosystems today announced a 12-month initiative to support the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF). Beginning today, 1% of the sale of all 3D laser scanners, multistations, total stations, GNSS instruments, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), handheld distance measurement tools, software and other products to the law enforcement community will be donated to the Memorial Fund. Continue reading →

In the five years since the National Academy of Sciences exposed the need for systematic and scientific advancement in forensic science, many public safety agencies have made the technological leap from tape measurements to point clouds for crime scene documentation. Now, with the 2014 launching of both the National Commission on Forensic Science and the NIST Organization of Scientific Area Committees, this much-need progress has finally begun. Continue reading →

By Duke Dutch, Sept. 25, 2014

Investigators can significantly cut documentation time on fatal crash scenes and simultaneously eliminate the challenge of subjective data selection by combining 3D laser scan and total station data. This streamlined workflow, as introduced in a previous article, is a highly accurate and efficient way to document fatal crash scenes and relate the data in court.

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Laser scanning is fast becoming the primary method used to document scenes by many crime and crash scene investigators. The portability, speed, and ease of use of modern 3D laser scanners have merged with the science community’s challenge to improve forensics, and now agencies that use laser scanning can produce high quality forensic exhibits to reach scientific based conclusions.  Continue reading →

by Detective David J. DeLeeuw, August 28, 2014

The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office was the first public safety agency in New Jersey to acquire a high-definition 3D laser scanner, the first in the state to utilize the technology in a forensic capacity, and the first to have scan data admitted in a New Jersey court. These last two firsts occurred in a single case: State of New Jersey v. Jay R. Goldberg. Our experience from scene to courtroom to verdict shows that preparation is key. Continue reading →

By Glen Reuschling, August 18, 2014

With 33 years in accident reconstruction under my belt, I go back, not quite to the stone-and-chisel era, but to the 100-foot steel tape, chalk and bubble line level. It began in 1982 with the Maryland State Police where I specialized in and taught accident reconstruction. Continue reading →