             POLICE PRACTICES: A CRIME SCENE VEHICLE
                      FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

                               By

                       William D. Gifford
                      Lieutenant/Supervisor
                     Investigations Division
              Anchorage, Alaska, Police Department


     Crime scene teams in police departments across the country
benefit from the availability of new forensic tools that enable
them to process crime scenes more quickly and thoroughly.
Paradoxically, when officers transport these tools to major crime
scenes, serious problems may arise. Tools often get damaged when
they are stuffed into overcrowded storage compartments.

     To avoid such breakage, officers must leave some tools
behind, resulting in extra trips between the crime scene and the
station to retrieve necessary equipment. Too often, officers
spend an inordinate amount of time searching for equipment
instead of using it. Also, teams must cope with limited work-
space at crime scenes, resulting in a lag time between the
collection of evidence and its processing. The length of that
delay often determines whether a crime is solved at all.

     The Anchorage, Alaska, Police Department's crime scene team
evaluated these problems and selected a major crime scene
response vehicle that enabled it not only to store and transport
the necessary equipment but also to process more evidence at
crime scenes. The team's experiences could serve as a model for
other agencies facing similar problems.

CHOOSING A VEHICLE

     For many years, a converted passenger van served as the
department's crime scene vehicle. When it became clear that the
van no longer served their needs, members of the crime scene team
sought other options. They examined large truck frames with
specially designed boxes, large vans with trailers, and
custom-built campers with trailers, but finally settled on a
customized motor home. Even though the initial outlay of funds
was more than anticipated, the motor home cost less than any of
the alternatives, and it met the team's specifications perfectly.

     The team developed a list of desired options and met with
representatives of the manufacturer to map out design
specifications. The vehicle had to accommodate the department's
current equipment needs and also provide room for growth.
Starting with a base model vehicle and drawing on the vast
experience of the motor home industry, the team adapted
already-proven designs to law enforcement needs. The result was a
new crime scene vehicle that will satisfy the department's needs
for many years.

FEATURES

     The team uses the vehicle for more than just storing and
carrying equipment. The motor home accommodates eight people for
holding meetings, viewing crime scene videos on the TV/VCR unit,
and performing other tasks. It has a work area equipped with two
computers that can connect to the network at the police station.
With the computer system, officers can search criminal histories
immediately and can construct and print crime scene diagrams,
property and evidence forms, property tags, and complete property
inventories for search warrant returns.

     The motor coach has two telephones: One land-line unit with
scrambling and coding capability and one cellular phone carried
by the team leader for instant communication with detectives,
district attorneys, or other critical personnel. Faxes also can
be sent and received at the workstation--an important feature
when the need for search warrant requests arises at the scene. A
bathroom and shower area also can double as a wet-storage
compartment for evidence.

     The rear half of the vehicle serves as the evidence work
area. A latent fingerprint processing chamber measures 2 feet x 2
feet x 5 feet and can be divided into several smaller chambers or
opened to its full height. Access panels above and below allow
for repair or replacement of fans and heating units. Next to the
fuming tank sits a large washtub for dye staining. Items are
dried directly above the sink, which has a work counter next to
it. A specially designed comparison photo stand can be placed
over the sink. This area contains ample storage space for
equipment, with an additional storage area for evidence near the
aft outside door. Access to the rear work area is limited
strictly to technicians.

     The vehicle provides ample storage areas for portable lights
and lengths of plastic pipe. These items are used at outdoor
crime scenes to construct tents or to fabricate blackout areas in
order to search for fiber evidence with an alternate light
source.

     A 6,500-kilowatt generator, with several hundred feet of
extension cord, powers the portable lights and can power the
entire vehicle when the engine is turned off. Electrical outlets
are located at each corner of the vehicle on the outside near
ground level, with two more mounted at the top of the coach near
the center.

CONCLUSION

     The Anchorage Police Department now has a vehicle that will
improve its ability to process major crime scenes efficiently.
Having all of its equipment available at the scene enables the
crime scene team to process evidence more quickly, access the
department's complete computer network, and take crime scene
processing into the 21st century.



                  * * * * *  SIDEBAR  * * * * *

            TIPS FOR DESIGNING A CRIME SCENE VEHICLE

     --   Develop a list of features before shopping

     --   Research the options: Talk to manufacturers
          and to other police departments that may have
          similar equipment needs

     --   Prioritize the list according to critical
          needs

     --   Plan for the future

     --   Visit the factory for an inspection during
          construction of the vehicle, if possible, to
          answer questions that may arise and to spot
          problems early

     --   Don't wait. A better work environment
          improves attitudes and results in increased
          productivity and a superior work product.

X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
 Another file downloaded from:                                NIRVANAnet(tm)

 &TOTSE                510/935-5845   Walnut Creek, CA         Taipan Enigma
 Burn This Flag        408/363-9766       San Jose, CA                Zardoz
 realitycheck          415/666-0339  San Francisco, CA    Poindexter Fortran
 Governed Anarchy      510/226-6656        Fremont, CA             Eightball
 New Dork Sublime      805/823-1346      Tehachapi, CA               Biffnix
 Lies Unlimited        801/278-2699 Salt Lake City, UT            Mick Freen
 Atomic Books          410/669-4179      Baltimore, MD               Baywolf
 Sea of Noise          203/886-1441        Norwich, CT             Mr. Noise
 The Dojo              713/997-6351       Pearland, TX               Yojimbo
 Frayed Ends of Sanity 503/965-6747     Cloverdale, OR              Flatline
 The Ether Room        510/228-1146       Martinez, CA Tiny Little Super Guy
 Hacker Heaven         860/456-9266        Lebanon, CT         The Visionary
 The Shaven Yak        510/672-6570        Clayton, CA             Magic Man
 El Observador         408/372-9054        Salinas, CA         El Observador
 Cool Beans!           415/648-7865  San Francisco, CA        G.A. Ellsworth
 DUSK Til Dawn         604/746-5383   Cowichan Bay, BC         Cyber Trollis
 The Great Abyss       510/482-5813        Oakland, CA             Keymaster

                          "Raw Data for Raw Nerves"
X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
