Crime Scene Investigations Go Hi-Tech
One of the most important aspects of a criminal investigation is the collection of evidence and the preservation and protection of a crime scene. The successful prosecution of a criminal incident can hinge on the state of physical evidence at the time it is collected, and the accurate reconstruction of the scene of the crime.
It was with this in mind that Sheriff Ron Hickman and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Command Staff shepherded the donation of a Leica P30 3Dimensional Scanner at no cost to the tax payers of Harris County. Thanks to the generous donation from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Foundation, the $170,000 piece of equipment will be added to the high tech arsenal of tools at the Sheriff’s Office’s disposal.
The Leica P30 3Dimensional Scanner documents millions of measurements instead of the few hundred that can be processed by human crime scene investigators. This allows for a full 3D rendering of a crime scene, which in turn allows a jury to walk through the crime scene as investigators discovered it intact. In essence the scanner provides investigators and/or jurors the ability to place themselves in the area of a crime with the same vantage point of witnesses, complainants and suspects.
Since taking office in May, Sheriff Ron Hickman has dedicated his administration to improving the state of technology in use throughout the Sheriff’s Office. The acquisition of a 3Dimensional Scanner is the latest accomplishment, joining the Real Time Crime Center and the High Tech Crime Unit, of the Sheriff’s endeavor to embrace new technology in 21st century law enforcement operations.
Acceptance of the donation is pending approval from the Harris County Commissioners Court.