Records

12/06/2006

Today’s demonstration at the Westchester police academy could have been a segment from an episode of “CSI,” where TV viewers get to watch as investigators find and collect evidence, analyze it and catch the bad guy — all in less than one hour. Instead, this was a real life and County Executive Andy Spano was showing how a new cutting-edge camera donated by FUJIFILM U.S.A. Inc. will help investigators solve crimes. 

“Crime scene investigation is a tough job that requires good logic and strong skills,” Spano said. “Investigators can be called in any time of the day or night to scour a crime scene or to assist one of 42 municipal police departments in finding clues and analyzing the evidence needed to solve a case and get a conviction. This camera will enable us to gather evidence while it’s still fresh on the scene.”

Last year, the County Police Forensic Investigations unit handled more than 60 crime scene investigations, each of which took anywhere from a few hours to several days to process depending on the scope of the scene.  Using this camera will greatly reduce the amount of time that needs to be spent at a crime scene, said Spano.

The new high-tech investigative tool — the Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro UVIR camera — is the world’s first production digital camera that can take both ultraviolet and infrared pictures used to detect hidden blood stains, gunshot residue and other evidence unseen by the human eye. Because the camera is able to capture images at a crime scene as well as in the lab, police will also be able to uncover and analyze evidence more accurately and with quicker results, which can lead to quicker convictions.  Westchester is one of the first police departments in the state to have this evidence-gathering technology.

“The County’s police investigators are top-notch in uncovering evidence,” said Spano. “This camera will enhance their capabilities and help keep our communities safe.” 

Spano acknowledged Stan Freimuth, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of FUJIFILM U.S.A. Inc., for his company’s donation. “Fujifilm is not only a front-runner in digital imaging technologies, it is a leader in our Westchester community. Whether it’s volunteering at a county park, hosting a special event or underwriting a program that benefits our residents, I can always count on Fujifilm’s support and assistance.”

“FUJIFILM U.S.A. has called Westchester County ‘home’ for more than 20 years, and enhancing the quality of life in this special community has always been a top priority,” remarked Freimuth. “We are so pleased and proud that this innovative product, in the hands of the County’s forensic experts, will keep Westchester’s ‘finest’ one step ahead of the bad guys.”

Police Commissioner Tom Belfiore said, “Crime scene investigation is a long, tedious process that requires accurate documentation of the conditions at the scene and preservation and analyzation of the physical evidence that is collected at the site. The quicker evidence can be collected, the quicker we’ll get the information needed for investigators to crack the case and get criminals off the street.”

Until now, infrared and ultraviolet images had to be taken with special infrared and ultraviolet film, which was effective but difficult, sensitive and time consuming.

“What’s great about this camera is that police will be able to gather evidence and analyze it right at the crime scene,” said Spano.

Mock crime scene evidence was used today to set the stage for police investigators from the county’s Forensics Investigative Unit to demonstrate the Fujifilm camera in action. Investigators showed how the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR camera was able to detect hidden blood spots on a black shirt, previously unseen gunshot residue, buried bones and the handiwork of a check forger.

 With its live preview feature, the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR is a new and helpful tool for forensics investigators, law enforcement organizations, research department and government agencies.