CCBI responds to crime scenes in Wake County and conducts forensic evidence investigations. Crime scene investigation and reconstruction are the science and art that allow one to determine what happened during a criminal activity. CCBI, like all other crime scene investigating agencies, tries to develop latent fingerprint evidence to help link a suspect to an offense. Other important items collected at the scene include trace evidence, firearms evidence, blood, hair and fibers. These are carefully processed, protected and submitted to the SBI (State Bureau of Investigation) Crime Laboratory for the appropriate comparisons.
Use of ultraviolet light source to help visualize many forms of physical evidence that may go undetected by traditional collection methods
At a crime scene, CCBI staff listen to victim accounts of what happened and what was moved, disturbed, broken or missing, keeping in mind that the victim may be involved in the offense. In these cases, we compare statements and look for information that may be contrary to what the crime scene suggests. Often, we have no assistance or advice as to what occurred and must examine and process everything that reasonably could be linked to the perpetrator.
Latent Print Evidence
Latent (Latin: hidden, undeveloped) prints are left on an object when there is a residue transfer from the skin of the palm or fingers of the hand. This transfer residue is mostly perspiration, but can also include grease, an accumulation of body oils or other foreign debris.
Usually, latent prints are difficult to see but can be visualized with side lighting from a flashlight. Occasionally, no ridge detail is visible at all, and the surface area is carefully brushed with fingerprint powder. Fingerprint powder attaches itself to the minute residue from the fingers displaying a reproduction of the ridge flows. The latent print can then be lifted with a piece of tape and placed on a stiff white card. Now the image is clearly visible and permanently protected. The crime scene agent usually lifts these prints collectively because one does not touch items with one finger at a time. Whenever possible we lift all latent prints, finger marks, hand smears and impressions that are developed. These latent prints will be closely examined under magnification later.
Electrostatic shoe impression developed with an Electrostatic Dust Lifter
Digital Photography
One of the many parts of crime scene investigations is the photographing of the scene. CCBI Agents have used a variety of film cameras over the years to do this. In 2001, CCBI made the transition from film-based photography to digital photography.
Crime scene photographs are now shot with 6.1-megapixel digital cameras. These are professional quality cameras that save the photographs on a Compact Flash memory card. Photographs formerly processed in a darkroom are now processed with computers and then stored and distributed on CDs. This process has increased the quality of CCBI's photographs and cut photographic expenses.
Photographs have always been used in court as evidence and, just as with film photographs, digital images must meet certain evidentiary standards. After the photographs have been shot at a scene, they are promptly burned to a write-only-once CD, marked, and then properly stored.
CCBI has added video image enhancement to its portfolio of services for Wake County law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney's Office, thanks to a grant supplied by the Wake County Alcoholic Beverage Commission. With this grant, CCBI was able to acquire an Intergraph Video Analyst System for video image enhancement. Video image enhancement allows crime scene investigators and detectives to take surveillance camera and security system video images, typically of low to medium quality, and enhance those images so investigators can examine the images for crime scene information that might not otherwise be available.