Crime Scene Evidence – The Value of a 3D Laser Scanning Survey

After the commission of a crime, investigators are called to the scene to gather evidence that will lead to the perpetrator. But in the case of crimes that require complex evidence gathering, such as murders, investigators rarely have as much time as they need to gather evidence. Because recreating a crime scene can play an essential role in solving crimes, even the position of seemingly inane crime scene objects can have a significant impact on how the commission of a crime is eventually interpreted, which can in turn play a significant role in identifying the right suspect and eliciting a confession.

Traditionally, investigators make written notes and take photographs of a crime scene, which rarely results in enough evidence to accurately recreate it. One reason why traditional crime-scene evidence makes it difficult to recreate crimes is that investigators are under pressure to record information as quickly as possible, which increases the chance that critical elements of the crime will be overlooked. However, even if investigators could take as much time as they pleased, the fact that most crimes occur in residences, public buildings, or public spaces makes it impossible to preserve a crime scene for more than a few hours.

In the past, police departments had no answer to these problems. But today, many police departments put these problems to rest by using laser scanning-also referred to as 3D laser scanning-to record the objects and distances of a crime scene. 3D scanning is commonly associated with the engineering and manufacturing industries, where it is used to model new parts and objects and troubleshoot existing parts and objects to correct imperfections. Unlike traditional surveying methods, a 3D laser scanning survey results in accurate data gathering in as little as one surveying session, making it ideal for gathering information from time-sensitive crime scenes.

When a laser scanner is used to scan a crime scene, it records the scene’s spatial data to a computer that is contained within the scanner. Then the scanner is connected to an external computer where the data is downloaded. After being downloaded, the data can be expressed in a variety of forms, but police departments express the data in solid CAD models, which are highly editable and allow the crime scene to be viewed from various vantage points. In addition to allowing investigators to record the objects and distances of a crime scene, 3D scanning also allows investigators to create crime scene animations to judge bullet trajectory, and the path of falling objects or recreate a struggle between the perpetrator and the victim. In addition to serving as a valuable investigative tool, crime scene animations can be presented in court as a valuable element in jury persuasion. Contact Crime scene cleanup Burlingame CA for more help.