NCJ Number
136893
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 19 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1992) Pages: 16-17,22,48-49
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Increasing workloads are causing more and more police agencies to purchase their own photographic minilab systems, although many smaller agencies lack the funds or volume of work to make an in-house system worthwhile now.
Abstract
All parts of law enforcement require photographic evidence. In Los Angeles, the police department requires between 3,000 and 4,000 prints in a typical week. Most work is color. To meet these needs, law enforcement agencies use many resources, including outside photo service bureaus, Polaroids, traditional darkrooms, and fully automated minilab photo-finishing centers. The automated system used in Los Angeles can print enlargements up to 17 times the size of the original negative. The minilabs used there, in Overland Park, Kans., in Baltimore, Md., and by the Massachusetts State Police increase the productivity of the photography unit while reducing expenses. Even with the new technology, conventional darkrooms for black-and-white processing are useful, especially for fingerprints and for making a print from negatives on file. In addition, the $40,000 cost of an entry-level system means that medium-sized departments must carefully consider the break-even point that justifies purchasing the equipment. Photographs