Guilford Acquires Leica 3-D ScanStation for Forensics Work
Guilford College’s Forensics Institute has acquired a piece of crime-fighting technology that folks on the CSI television shows would be proud to own. It’s a Leica Geosystems ScanStation C10 3-D laser scanner, which will be used both on campus and off campus to assist local law enforcement. On March 15, Tony Grissim, a public safety and forensics manager with Leica, will be on campus to put the tool through its paces.
Grissim will give a lecture and demonstrate the system to students in the forensic biology program, crime scene technicians, representatives from the District Attorney’s office, police leaders from a wide area, and other guests including Guilford College leadership. The demo will include an overview of its various law enforcement applications, case studies of homicides, officer involved shootings, shooting reconstruction and post-blast investigations. Area law enforcement personnel will come back for in-depth training April 10-13.
Frank Keegan, director of the Guilford Forensics Institute, said, “This is a sophisticated piece of technology that will be used to instruct Guilford students in the proper procedures for investigating a crime scene. The laser scanner captures a very detailed 3-D image of the crime scene that then serves as a permanent record and reference that can be consulted as the investigation proceeds.
“Utilizing Guilford’s Crime Scene House, students will learn how to preserve a crime scene and collect and analyze evidence. In addition, the Laser Scanner will be made available to local law enforcement for capturing highly detailed three-dimensional images of major crime scenes.”
The Leica Geosystems ScanStation C10 is a versatile and easy-to-use 3-D laser scanning system which enables users to photograph and measure a scene with an extraordinary level of speed, accuracy and completeness. Police agencies all over the United States use it for forensics and homeland security applications. It produces data that can be used to generate high-value rapid-response products within minutes of the scanning. In the courtroom Leica’s laser scanning data has allowed prosecutors to place the jury in the crime scene. Data from Leica laser scans have been accepted in U.S. courts of law many times.
