Ready Room

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 →

If your agency is laser scanning incident scenes, you have the ability to create state-of-the-art exhibits that enhance understanding and facilitate justice. But yet another level of context can be provided by incorporating scan data with other forms of geospatial information.  Continue reading →

When the Crime Scene Investigation Section of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Criminalistics Laboratory in Olathe, Kan., took delivery of its new Leica ScanStation, the CSIs were not permitted to deploy the high-definition 3D laser scanner as the sole means for documenting casework until its accuracy was validated. “When we get any sensitive instrument for use in the crime laboratory, it goes through scientific validation,” said CSI Section Supervisor Ryan Rezzelle. “Our C10* went through that.”  Continue reading →

By Duke Dutch, June 27, 2014

When a crime or crash occurs in the middle of nowhere with no visible references, it may be useful—if not essential—to provide additional geographical context. If your agency has transitioned to a high-definition 3D laser scanner, there is an easy way to achieve this.

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The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have made the first appointments to the Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB), a new organization dedicated to identifying and fostering development and adoption of standards and guidelines for the nation's forensic science community. A key component of NIST's Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), the FSSB comprises 17 academic researchers and forensic science experts, including two individuals from agencies that use Leica laser scanning solutions. Continue reading →