Associated Press Photo
This article written from the end user perspective clearly explains the benefits of documenting a crime scene with 3D laser scanning.
When it comes time to collect evidence at the scene of a crime, Detective Joe Swenson said sometimes you don’t know what’s important until later.
“But, the scene is gone, cleaned up,” said Swenson, a crime scene detective with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit. “With this, I can go back to the scene anytime I want.”
“This” is a 3-D laser scanner that documents and measures everything within about a 400-foot radius from the scanner. By taking about 25 scans at each scene, Swenson is able to have an interactive picture of the scene at his fingertips.
“While I’m out at the crime scene doing my thing, other investigators are talking to suspects, witnesses or whoever … we have a lot of contact back and forth, but they’re learning things that I don’t know about,” he said. “There can always be things that I just don’t learn until later on.”
Swenson said the piece of equipment makes crime investigations more accurate.
