York Forensic Unit Uses the Latest Technology For More Credibility in Court

The York Forensic Identification Bureau near Toronto, Canada, is mandated to stay at the forefront of latest evidence collection techniques. They operate a mobile crime lab where exhibits can be processed and all data and photos can be downloaded right on the crime scene. The crime lab saves time and resources as the forensic unit will spend from two to five days and sometimes up to two weeks processing a homicide scene.

Detective Constable Brad Joice brought his total station and nine years of experience in collision investigation to the Forensic Identification Bureau two years ago. “In the future every forensic lab is going to use a total station and reconstruction software to map crime scenes. Courts will expect it more and more, and it speeds the process of collecting evidence.”

Joice chooses MapScenes Pro software. “We are committed to providing superior quality service which is why we have chosen MapScenes,” says Detective Constable Joice.

“The integration from Evidence Recorder to MapScenes in one basic step saves alot of time. Using other software on the total station you'd basically have to start your diagram from scratch when you went to the desktop program. It obviously speeds the process and makes it more accurate. Even for small scenes of a single room it’s efficient to use a tape measure and enter your data in Evidence Recorder. I also love the MapScenes Library, it’s great for speeding up the mapping process.”

"With homicides there's more evidence to map and collect. These days we do more in less time. We spend about the same amount of time at the scene but collect alot more data. The more info we have about the scene the more credible our witnesses will be in court and a scaled diagram holds alot more weight than a rough sketch. Witnesses can mark where they were at the crime scene and courts can visualize what the witnesses were seeing."

Constable Joice recently mapped an assault in about 300 measurements. "We were called in and we mapped the front and back of the plaza including the buildings, park, trees, and lighting. At the crime scene you don't always know what information is going to be crucial down the road so we try to map as much info as possible. In this case we knew lighting and video surveillance were relevant so we mapped these…The drawing will support the witness in court.”

With numerous TV crime dramas showing what technology is capable of, courts and the public are becoming more demanding of police departments' resources. "We have to keep up with technology and let's face it technology makes our jobs easier, but acquiring it comes down to each departments' financial situation."

Yahoo Group Discusses MapScenes with other Users
A MapScenes Pro Yahoo Group was started in October by Brad Muir and Susan Bracchi.
Yahoo.com hosts a free User's Forum for MapScenes and Evidence Recorder software. Exchange ideas, uses, tips and tricks, and receive assistance and advice from other users of MapScenes software. The Yahoo group also shares drawing files, symbols and animations. Go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MapScenesPro/

by Constable Brad Muir

One of the slickest features in MapScenes Pro is the ability to work from a template. Whether you are starting a drawing from a direct total station download, previously downloaded file, an Evidence Recorder job through Sync Wizard, or using hand measurements, templates can be a big time saver and give you a consistent workspace.

Save most of the settings you are habitually tweaking such as Layers, Layer settings, Text settings, Drawing Scale, Line Type Scales, Snap Setting, Construction points and more.

To create a template, open a new drawing, and select the Scale and drawing units as you normally would. Do not download a scene at this time, i.e. say 'No' to the prompts. Save this blank drawing using the name Template.

Click the Layer Manager button, or type 'Layer' at the command prompt. Now you can add the layers you commonly use and tweak their color and assigned line type settings. For drawings I start with a standard set of layers: ROADWAY, TIREMARKS, EVIDENCE, VEHICLES, and LABELS as the layers I actually draw on. I also create the layers the AutoMap library function uses to sort my points: ROADWAY_REF, TIREMARKS_REF, EVIDENCE_REF, VEHICLES_REF, and DIMENSIONS. This way I can always check my underlying points against the drawn lines.

Next, set up your Snap and Construction Point settings by typing settings at the command prompt, or Click the Settings Icon. Choose you favorite construction point type and size (I use the “X” and set it to “1” relative to screen size). Select your running SNAP, or the “always on” SNAP setting. Click the “Object Snap” Tab. I usually set this to POINT since it snaps to your measured point. Don’t forget to put a check mark in the box “Marker” if you want a visual cue for your SNAP points.

If you have created Custom line types, now is the time to load them by typing linetype at the command prompt. You can also set up how your dimension lines and arrows are drawn by clicking Dim/Dimension Type or typing dimtype at the command prompt. To use this feature specify template as the Style Name (changing any of the settings to suit your preferences). Here you can change the default arrow line /extension line text color and size, as well as the placement and fonts.

Default Text styles can also be saved in the Template. Click Text/Fonts or type font at the command prompt to add or modify custom Font settings. Choose from CAD fonts and TrueType fonts for your default styles instead of Standard. By not entering a size in the Height box, MapScenes will select a height based on your current drawing scale. This also allows you to change the height via the command prompt Textsize at any time.

Think of the time you just spent changing all your settings for this ONE diagram, and multiply that by the number of drawings you do. Add in the long day, or the late, late late of the night shift and trying to remember to set it all up right every time. Here is the pay off. Since you saved this as a blank drawing called TEMPLATE, let go and set this as the default template for your future drawings. Close the TEMPLATE drawing, making sure to save your last changes.

Click NEW or type new at the command prompt to start a new drawing. Put a checkmark in the box labeled: USE TEMPLATE, then click SET TEMPLATE. Navigate to your drawing directory where you just saved the drawing TEMPLATE and select this file. Now when you open the NEW drawing, all the settings changes you made are waiting for you. To start a new drawing based on your template that you shot in EvR, just open a new drawing first, using the USE TEMPLATE feature and make sure you choose to import the data to Current Scene.

For those users that plot to standard scales and sizes of paper, you can set up multiple templates based on your needs, choosing the appropriate template for the job at hand.

Constable Brad Muir is the Senior Reconstructionist with the Greater Toronto Region of the Ontario Provincial Police and the Crash Test Data Coordinator for the Collision Safety Institute.