Alludo > Case Studies > Leveraging CorelDRAW 12 in Forensic Services: A Case Study on West Haven Police Department

Leveraging CorelDRAW 12 in Forensic Services: A Case Study on West Haven Police Department

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Computer Vision Software
Sensors - Lidar & Lazer Scanners

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Security & Public Safety

Use Cases

Clinical Image Analysis

About The Customer

Detective John Brunetti is a seasoned police officer with over 23 years of service in the Forensic Services Division at West Haven Police Department in Connecticut. He has spent 17 of those years focusing on fingerprint analysis and other crime scene investigation techniques. He also teaches a Palm Print Comparison course at the University of New Haven. Detective Brunetti is responsible for investigating crime scenes and presenting the evidence to State’s Attorney Mary Galvin, and other prosecutors in her office. He uses CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 daily in his work to create accurate and easy-to-understand maps and diagrams.

The Challenge

Detective John Brunetti, a seasoned officer with over 23 years of service in the Forensic Services Division at West Haven Police Department in Connecticut, faced the challenge of presenting crime scene evidence in a clear, professional, and understandable manner. This was particularly important when testifying in court, where the jury needed to comprehend the evidence accurately. The challenge was compounded by the complexity of the evidence, which often included partial fingerprints or palm prints, crime scene maps, and bullet trajectories. Furthermore, the evidence needed to be presented in a way that was not unfairly biased, especially when witnesses were asked to identify a suspect from an array of photos.

The Solution

Detective Brunetti turned to CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 to address these challenges. He used the Object Manager in CorelDRAW to design crime scene maps, adding each component category on a separate layer. This allowed him to create several map versions by keeping or removing certain elements, such as cars, street names, and house numbers. For fingerprint analysis, he relied on Corel Photo-Paint. When a fingerprint chart was needed for court, he imported the images into CorelDRAW, positioning both prints in the same fashion using guidelines, object anchors, and object rotation handles. He also used the Polyline tool to trace the paths between similar points of unique characteristics in both prints. In a case involving fingerprints on a fire extinguisher, investigators used Corel PHOTO-PAINT to present the evidence more clearly by turning off certain color channels in the image. Corel PHOTO-PAINT was also used to ensure that the process of identifying a suspect from an array of photos was not unfairly biased.

Operational Impact

The use of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 has significantly improved the quality of evidence presentation in the West Haven Police Department. The software's features have enabled Detective Brunetti to present complex evidence in a clear, professional, and understandable manner, which is crucial when testifying in court. The ability to create layered crime scene maps and analyze fingerprints with Corel Photo-Paint has enhanced the accuracy and clarity of the evidence. Furthermore, the use of Corel PHOTO-PAINT in presenting photo arrays to witnesses has ensured a fair and unbiased identification process. Overall, the use of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 has enhanced the effectiveness of the Forensic Services Division in investigating crime scenes and presenting evidence.