Last summer I was at the International Association of Investigators conference in Minneapolis. Now for anyone who is intrigued by the myriad of potential uses for an iris scanner, or even just wants to organize and streamline the department’s evidence lockers, this is a great show. You get to see and chat about the latest products coming down the line from brilliant industry insiders—everything from biometrics to footprint impressions and identification software systems.
As I strolled down the aisles of service providers and high-tech tools, something caught my eye and I had to stop and detour for a few minutes. A series of easels displayed enlarged crime scene (and candid nature) photos, entered by their respective agencies as contenders for the association’s annual forensic photography awards. One showed us the inside of an adult video booth where a rape occurred. Another was shot at a crumbling, burned out shell of a house. In every submission the photographer’s craft and technical aptitude showed through. The results were stark—even artful—depictions of some of life’s most horrific moments, captured for the purpose of evidence and investigation.
I wondered if it was right to call a picture of someone’s suicide, or the scene of an arson when an entire family has lost its home “artful.” At the same time, this is the same scene that victim, family, and first responders encountered—perhaps breathlessly or with foreboding. I saw the photographer doing his or her job to preserve the truth of that one instant. In the case of the winning submissions (which we have published here) the investigators took great care to capture the scene—choosing the correct apertures and filters to more clearly relate the situation to others who were not there. Or perhaps they were, but of course memory is imperfect, and it’s inevitable that remembered details erode over time…no matter how sharp one might be.
Crime Scene Investigator Heather Rohwer, on “One in the Cylinder” writes, “This was my first suicide investigation as the lead. The subject had planned everything to the very last detail. He had placed all of his personal and financial documents on the kitchen island, and had even placed a black trash bag in the upper part of the shower to minimize the mess. He was found seated in the master bathroom shower, with the .38 revolver in his lap; upon clearing the gun the subject had only loaded one round in the cylinder.”
Without a doubt, the story is tragic.
The picture is tragic.
But you can’t deny that this one photo has a lot to say.
Sara Scullin
Sara Scullin was the Editor of Law Enforcement Technology magazine, a monthly business-to-business publication that covers technology trends and best practices for public safety managers. LET is part of SouthComm Law Enforcement Media, which also publishes Law Enforcement Product News and Officer.com. Sara had covered the law enforcement industry since March 2008.
