Equipment

The Crime Scene Investigation department possesses a lot of specialised equipment, some of which is carried for daily use and some which is available for specific use at major crime scenes.

A specially equipped trailer is available to be transported to serious crimes at short notice. This trailer carries all of the packaging, specialist lighting, scene suits, gloves, masks, swabs, scene tents etc. that are needed. In addition the trailer is equipped with lighting, heating, desks, laptop computers and freezers making it a self-contained office away from headquarters.

The trailer is powered by its own generator and the computers link wirelessly to the police network so protracted examinations can be conducted efficiently.

The cameras are currently Nikon D1x bodies, Nikon speedlight flashguns and Nikon lenses. The images are captured onto CompactFlash cards and stored onto CDR discs using an Apacer DVD recorder.

Fingerprint kits consist of various fine filament brushes, various powders, magnetic brushes and ultra clear tape and acetate sheets.

Scene lighting is provided by portable battery powered lamps or an inflatable scene light which is powered by its own petrol generator. This lamp is capable of illuminating an area the size of a rugby pitch and is lifted 20 feet into the air by an inflation fan.

The department possesses two identical specialist vans. These vehicles are custom constructed and are fitted with shelving, drawers, heated hand-wash facilities and chargers for all of the electrical equipment. Each van carries the individual safety, camera and fingerprint equipment of two officers, plus universal items for both to use. In this way there is always the inbuilt safety factor of having duplicated items in the event of equipment failure.

Both vans carry an electrostatic lifting apparatus (ESLA) which is capable of recovering dusty shoe prints from smooth surfaces or even carpets.

The vans have warning sirens and blue lamps hidden in their grilles. This enables the officers to attend urgent scenes, such as serious road traffic accidents, even in heavy traffic.

The laptop communication technology has been trialled at crime scenes and it has been shown to be possible to transmit fingerprints directly to the fingerprint bureau. These fingerprints can be searched instantly against the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) and the person identified within an hour.

This technology will be permanently adopted over the coming months and will form the basis for a new approach to identifying offenders as rapidly as possible on the Isle of Man.