Cloud App Used By Police and Public To Catch The Bad Guys.

02 Friday May 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Android Phones, Apps, Cell Phones, Clouds, Criminal Law, iPhones, Law Enforcement

≈ Comments Off on Cloud App Used By Police and Public To Catch The Bad Guys.

Tags

App, Associated Press, Boston Marathon bombings, Clouds, Computers, Forensic Magazine, Large Emergency Event Digital Information Repository, Law Enforcement, LEEDIR, Police, Tami Abdollah

New Tool Helps Police Crowdsource Evidence, by Tami Abdollah, Associated Press, posted by Forensic Magazine

http://bit.ly/1lJps89

An annual spring party in a Southern California beach town devolved into a riot last month when revelers turned violent, rocking cars, smashing windows and throwing rocks. Dozens were injured and about 50 people ended up in the hospital, including several police officers.

Today, as authorities seek help with the investigation in Isla Vista, they’re employing a new online and mobile app that designers say was created specifically for this type of situation.

‘When the public really wants to catch these bad guys as badly as we do, this is the mechanism,’ said Los Angeles Sheriff’s Cmdr. Scott Edson, who helped conceptualize the system in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings. ‘They can help us by sending us pictures and video.’

The innovation, known as LEEDIR, the Large Emergency Event Digital Information Repository, pairs an app with cloud storage to help police use smartphones as tools to gather evidence. . . .

New App for Crime Scene Investigation.

27 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Law

≈ Comments Off on New App for Crime Scene Investigation.

Tags

App, CASE App, Crime Scene Investigation, First Responders, Forensic Institute for Research and Education, Forensic Magazine, Law Enforcement, Middle Tennessee State University, WillowTree Apps

CASE – Checklist App for Scene Examination, by WillowTree Apps, Forensic Magazine

http://tinyurl.com/mzu5kp4

The first moments at a crime scene can be critical to saving lives and ensuring justice. It’s essential that first responding officers arrive on a pristine scene, which can quickly deteriorate and lose its value in helping investigators with every minute that follows. Time, weather and the movement of essential personnel, such as EMTs and scene investigators, can alter the scene and destroy evidence. Early documentation of evidence can make a difference in bringing justice to both the guilty and the innocent.

Now, thanks to the Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) Forensic Institute for Research and Education, known as FIRE; instead of trying to juggle notepads, cameras and video recorders, officers can immediately document crime scenes — capturing text, photographs, video, audio, GPS, dates and times — with their smartphones. Using a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, MTSU partnered with WillowTree Apps, an award-winning mobile application development company headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., to create CASE, crime scene checklist app for law enforcement agencies. . . .

How To – Investigating Traffic Accidents.

22 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Damages, Evidence, Forensic Evidence, Litigation, Motor Vehicle, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Uninsured Motorist

≈ Comments Off on How To – Investigating Traffic Accidents.

Tags

Car Accident, Dick Warrington, Documentation, Evidence, Evidence Collection, Fender Bender, Forensic Evidence, Forensic Magazine, High Speed Chase, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Traffic Accidents

Evidence Collection in a Traffic Investigation, by Dick Warrington, Forensic Magazine

http://tinyurl.com/nko5m2s

This post is an excerpt from Mr. Warrington’s post, Investigating the Fender Bender (http://tinyurl.com/o979zk5). I recommend it, and the links to more information on this subject that you will find at the end of the post. -CCE

Most of the time traffic accidents are fairly standard—the typical fender bender where one person runs into another. The officer on duty responds, assesses the situation, and completes the proper paperwork. But sometimes officers deal with much more serious, complex situations. Dealing with a hundred car pile-up, for example, is quite challenging, since it’s like carrying out multiple investigations simultaneously. When responding to multiple car accidents, hit and runs, fatalities, and high speed chases, officers can benefit by calling in Crime Scene Officers to assist with the investigation.

Because this type of case usually involves extensive damage to property, serious injuries, and/or fatalities, lawsuits will likely result. Questions of liability, product failure, etc. will also come up. Given these facts, it’s important to work together to conduct a thorough investigation. Since the CSO’s responsibilities include documentation, evidence identification, and evidence collection, we’ll look at each of those areas. . . .