Tyler City Council Approves Purchase Of 3D Crime Scene Scanner
The Tyler Police Department will soon have new 3D laser scanning services tools designed to help with investigations. On Wednesday, The City Council agreed to a $54,000 donation from the Smith County District Attorney’s office to purchase a Laser Scanner from Collison and Crime Forensic Solutions.
How the Police Department Will Use 3D Laser Scanning Services
This 3D scanning equipment features 3D crime scene scanners, which have several implications for law enforcement and criminal investigations.
The Leica RTC360 3D scanner can create highly detailed, accurate 3D models of crime scenes, which can be used to recreate and analyze the events that occurred at the scene. This can help investigators to understand the sequence of events better and potentially identify suspects or other clues that might not have been visible to the naked eye.
Investigators currently deploy a wide range of hand measurements and total station devices to measure distances and angles. However, this 3D laser scanning services equipment can capture documents, vehicle crash sites, data, and crime scenes more effectively and with sharper accuracy.
The use of 3D laser scans can improve the accuracy and reliability of forensic evidence. According to Lt. Donald Shafer, the department conducted a lot of research which led them to believe that this would help with a significant accident and other crime scene investigations.
By providing a highly detailed and accurate representation of the crime scene, these scanners can eliminate subjective interpretation and human error that can sometimes occur when crime scenes are analyzed using traditional methods.
The new 3D scanning services tools will allow investigators to digitally scan a scene precisely while documenting it to enable it to be easily shareable evidence that can be analyzed in court.
Another potential implication is that using 3D crime scene scanners can help save time and resources for law enforcement agencies. By providing a comprehensive and accurate representation of the crime scene, these scanners can help to streamline the investigation process and reduce the need for multiple on-site visits to the crime scene.
The Leica RTC360 3D scanning equipment is also lightweight and compact. It can continue scanning even in the harshest of conditions. Besides, its lightweight nature makes it easy to transport even in a backpack.
The Police Department will also get training and 24-hour lifetime tech support from the maker as part of their purchase package. This brings the cost of the 3D scanning tech to about $110,000.
3D crime scene scanners are critical for law enforcement and criminal investigations. The 3D scanning tech has the potential to help improve the accuracy and efficiency of crime scene investigation.