Baltimore County Gives Evidence Lab Tour, Displays New Technologies
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Since the CBS hit show "CSI" started, universities and police departments aren't having any trouble finding people who want to go into the field of criminal forensics.
As Mike Schuh reports, Baltimore County is showing off the real investigators.
No matter how believable some of it is, for the people who work with evidence at the top of the police tower in Towson, it's not like TV.
Baltimore County Police Department Forensics Director Irv Litofsky wants you to know these four things:
1) "On TV there is always enough evidence on every crime scene to solve every crime," he said.
2)"They do everything in 45 minutes. There are many examinations that take us months.
3) "The third thing are the databases that they use; everything is immediately linked.
4)"They always turn the lights out and go around with flashlights. Light is our friend."
It's National Forensics Week. Media gather at the crime lab and on display are two technologies that are putting criminals in their place.
"In almost every case where there is physical contact, there is going to be a transfer of evidence," Litofsky said.
In the county, they have a new hi-tech way to compare prints from different sources. They believe they're the only ones in the state doing it this way.
One of the most important parts of a criminal case these days is being able to get a hold of a criminal's cell phone. If they get one, it's a good day because cell phones have so much information stored in them.
"Everybody has a cell phone with them at all times. It's constantly recording everywhere you're going and what you're doing," said Chris Kollman, digital evidence supervisor. "Because we're going to cut the phone off from the network."
Once police get one, they have the equipment to unlock its secrets, including texts and pictures. Prosecutors are finding such evidence being key to convincing jurors to convict.
In all, over 50 people work in forensics at Baltimore County.
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