Laser Beams Replace Influx Of Flashing Lights At Crashes
Utilizing a $100 fee added to every DUI court case, Kane County, Ill.’s DUI Task Force has bought three computerized systems to rapidly scan car accident scenes with lasers, plotting the sites of vehicles and landmarks.
The computer systems can also record crime scenes, although they are mostly used for car crashes. The mobile computer system replaced measuring tape and pencil processes of determining the speed, trajectory, and site of collisions based on where the cars stop.
The Batavia Police Department got one of the reconstruction systems six months ago, while the Kane County Sheriff’s Department got two last year, the newest in December.
Sheriff’s Detective Mike Acosta has applied to the county board to obtain money for an additional three work stations utilizing grants taken from the county’s portion of profits from Elgin’s Grand Victoria Casino riverboat.
Each system costs around $17,000, including instruction for 11 officers on how to employ the software. Kane County witnesses around 4,000 to 5,000 accidents with injuries annually.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Chicago Daily Herald (01/25/06) P. 3; Kunz, Tona .