With the implementation of the FARO 3D scanner and its compatible handheld device, FARO Freestyle, the Sheriff's Office now has technology that allows investigators to complete their jobs more efficiently.
In the past, Investigators had to use tape measurements and stretch them from reference points at a scene to make a diagram, according to Deputy Crime Scene Investigator Anthony Giamberdino. Then, the department began using an electronic distance meter, which could mark 50 to 150 points at a time to make a diagram.
However, the 3D scanner shoots millions of points within eight minutes, resulting in a faster and more efficient way of creating a diagram of the scene, Giamberdino said.
The scanners have become valuable tools for law enforcement, according to Janice White, director of FARO public safety product management.
The scanner collects millions of measurements as it rotates 360 degrees. These points are then captured and stored in a 3D model to create a digital representation of the scene, White said. The scanner can also take high resolution color photographs.
Being able to document the scene within minutes compared to hours lessens the time of road closures and reduces the amount of time a crime scene must be taped off, White said.
The Sheriff's Office has been utilizing the scanner for almost a year.
"It's pretty much like you're back at the scene," Investigator Mike Licinio said. "You can look around 360 degrees, you can look up and down, and you’re able then to see your evidence."
Throughout the year the department has been using the new technology, Licinio said that it has been helpful in obtaining plea deals because defendants don’t want the evidence presented to a jury.
The handheld tool can also be used inside vehicles, giving police a better view of what is under seats and in other hidden areas.
Additionally, Giamberdino said the scanner can be used for autopsies to show wounds such as bullet entry wounds, or bruises/tissue damage that can’t be seen by the naked eye.
©2016 the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal (Lockport, N.Y.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
