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Muskogee, Okla., PD Buys Laser Crime Scene Scanner

Police officials say the technology will help investigators better organize crime scenes, reducing the amount of time spent on site.

(TNS) — City councilors approved the nearly $50,000 purchase of high-tech equipment that will give the Muskogee Police Department the ability to reconstruct crime scenes and collisions, map emergency escape routes, and perform a multitude of other tasks not easily achieved before.

The Faro Laser Scanning camera system has the capability of capturing millions of data points and reproducing three-dimensional images that provide perspectives that otherwise might be missed. The department is believed to be the first in the area to invest in the technology.

Deputy Chief Reggie Cotton said departments that fail to invest in this type of technology could become obsolete during the next four to five years. He said the investment, an expenditure that was included in this year's budget, will give Muskogee's police force an advantage as it moves toward the future.

Sgt. Matt Burleson told city councilors the technology will help investigators better organize crime scenes, reducing the amount of time spent there. It also is expected to increase efficiencies of case management.

"This is going to be big — we talk about manpower and the costs of being on scene and the effectiveness of not being fatigued when we do work those crime scenes," Burleson said. "The ability to transition quickly from crime scene to crime scene and memorialize those events ... We eliminate human error with this technology."

Burleson said the Muskogee County District Attorney's Office will be able to use the technology to enhance the prosecution of criminal cases. Prosecutors, he said, will have the capability of providing jurors with a "virtual tour through a crime scene" during a trial.

Other applications for which the technology might be used include mapping the interiors of historical buildings. An operator also will have the ability to map and chart traffic conditions.

©2018 the Muskogee Phoenix (Muskogee, Okla.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.