OVERVIEW:
Crime Scene Investigations, along with Criminal
Investigations and Special Investigations make up the Lake County Sheriff's
Office Investigations Bureau. Crime Scene Investigations is a specialized
unit that is responsible for providing logistical assistance for the
investigation of criminal activity.
The services provided by this unit are
categorized in the following areas: Property and Evidence Section, Forensic
Laboratory, Photographic, Laboratory, Fingerprint Section, and the Crime Scene Response Section. These services are
provided to all the Bureaus within the Sheriff's Office, the fourteen
municipalities in Lake County, and State and Federal Agencies.Presently, Crime Scene Investigations is staffed with
seventeen positions. These positions consist of a Lieutenant, sixteen
full-time civilian employees, one part-time civilian employee and one
civilian volunteers.
PROPERTY & EVIDENCE:
The Property and Evidence Section is responsible for the
intake, storage, and disposition of all property and/or evidence categorized
as general evidence, controlled substance, money, jewelry and weapons.
Evidence received is properly documented, charted and tracked throughout the
system utilizing computer generated bar code labels. The evidence is
preserved and maintained, whereby it can be located and presented at any
given moment. Presently the Property and Evidence Section houses
approximately 70,000 pieces of evidence. One Evidence Custodian and four
Evidence Clerks maintain this section.
FORENSIC LABORATORY:
The Forensic Laboratory has the most updated and
sophisticated equipment for processing evidence in Lake County, with the
primary focus on latent search and development. A variety of chemicals and
powders are used in conjunction with the Lumalite, Crime Scope MCS-400, and
RUVIS (all alternative light sources) to develop and document latents on
both porous and non-porous surfaces. Other equipment used in the laboratory
are items such as a multi-chambered Superglue cabinet, Superglue vacuum
chamber, DFO oven, Ninhydrin booth, and a Vacuum Metal Deposition Chamber.
The laboratory is often called upon to search for and document Trace
Evidence (hairs, fibers, body fluids, glass, etc.) as well as Bloodstain
Pattern Analysis and Bullet Path Trajectory to aid in the reconstruction of
crime scenes. "In Service Training" provides the Crime Scene Investigators
the opportunity to refresh current skills and/or develop new techniques to
be used in the laboratory or field. Seven civilian Crime Scene Investigators
maintain this section.
PHOTOGRAPHIC LABORATORY:
The Photographic Laboratory is an operational support
facility capable of rendering many different types of assistance to aid
local law enforcement agencies. The primary responsibility of this section
is to provide photo, audio, and video support to all Sheriff's Office
Bureaus, all Police Departments, State Attorney, Public Defender, and other
Law Enforcement agencies. Tasks performed by this section range from copying
videotapes of traffic stops recorded by patrol cars to video captures from
bank robbery videotapes and store videotapes to assist in apprehension of
subjects. Digital imaging enables the quick response time needed in an
emergency situation. From the time a photo of a missing child or suspect in
a crime is scanned via the computer and relayed to the Internet, it can be
displayed in every patrol car in Lake County in a matter of minutes. Color
film is also processed in house eliminating costly commercial production of
photographic evidence. The photo lineup is an investigative tool used daily
to identify suspects in crimes and is produced using the recently updated
Digital Imaging System. Digital cameras are used extensively by the Crime
Scene Investigators and the Photo Technician. These images may now be
downloaded to computer and burned to CD resulting in a much more efficient
distribution of photographs to officers and agencies as needed. Two civilian Crime Scene Investigators maintain this
section.
FINGERPRINTS:
The Fingerprint Section provides the services of classifying
fingerprint cards of all incarcerated persons at the Lake County Detention
Center. This section also provides latent evaluations and comparisons of
unknown latent fingerprints against known individual prints. The Fingerprint
Section is aided in this task with the use of the Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS). A latent found on the crime scene is placed
into the computer and a statewide database is searched for possible matches.
These possible matches have to be compared by the Latent Analyst before an
identification can be made. Another service provided by this section is the
fingerprinting of employee applications of the Lake County Sheriff's Office
and other county agencies. One court certified civilian Senior Latent
Analyst, one Latent Analyst, one full-time and one part-time Civilian Clerk, and one civilian
volunteer maintain this section.
CRIME SCENE RESPONSE:
The Crime Scene Response section provides a 24-hour, 7 day a
week, on call Crime Scene Investigator. Each Investigator is fully equipped
to document the crime scene with digital video recordings, 35mm photography,
digital photography, measurements, computer generated diagrams and written
reports. Each Investigator is professionally trained to recognize, identify,
preserve and collect all types of physical evidence. The Investigators each
maintain a take-home Crime Scene Unit and are capable of immediate response
to any type of crime scene, such as, but not limited to: Homicides,
Suicides, Armed Robberies, Carjackings, Kidnappings, Sexual Batteries,
Stolen Vehicles, and Burglaries. Other duties include building computerized
composite (facial) drawings, plotting poster size crime scene diagrams,
maintaining the Forensic Laboratory, and assisting in the Fingerprint
section and Photographic Laboratory. The Crime Scene Investigators are also
provided with a "Major Crimes Scene Unit" (MCSU). The MCSU is equipped with
an on-board generator, work lights, portable tent for super gluing bodies,
tools, and equipment not necessarily available on the individual Crime Scene
Units, as well as two laptop computers, modem, color-photo printer, scanner,
TV, VHS VCR, Time-Lapse VCR, and a multi-plexor for still captures from
surveillance tapes. The MCSU is capable of remaining on scene for long
durations, and has been known to stay on scene in one homicide case for
eight consecutive days. This section consists of seven Crime Scene
Investigators.
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