NCJ Number
189232
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 28 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 46-48,50,52
Date Published
June 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines how police "cold case" squads use current technology to solve cases that have been open for years, with attention to the procedures used by the cold case squads of the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Abstract
Many police departments are appointing detectives to take a fresh look at old cases, largely due to advances in investigative technology. DNA analysis, automated fingerprint comparisons, and computer databases that track and locate people make it possible to identify, locate, apprehend, and convict offenders who committed crimes years ago. The main ingredients that determine whether or not a cold case is workable are forensic evidence and the availability of witnesses. Of particular importance is any forensic evidence that can be re-analyzed with advanced technology. Questions that might be asked when determining whether or not to pursue a cold case are as follows: Is there any blood evidence that can be submitted for DNA analysis? Are the witnesses still around? Are there people who were involved with the suspect at the time of the crime who are no longer linked to that individual and may be willing to talk? A department's evidence custodians can inform investigators about the type of evidence that was impounded in a case and its current condition. A department's latent fingerprints section can tell cold case investigators what prints were recovered at the scene, the quality of these prints, and their current condition. If the prints are still usable, they can be run through an automated fingerprint identification system to uncover any matches. The Miami-Dade cold case squad also re-submits firearms evidence, whether casings or projectiles, so as to run it through various firearms databases. Computer technology and the Internet are making finding people a lot easier. Still, the success of a cold case unit does not depend solely on technology. It begins with finding the right people for the job and depends on an ample budget and open communication with other agencies.