The Omaha PD addresses crime by adopting new technologies that advance investigations and identify hot spots. One recent technology adoption was the deployment of the VideoFOCUS Pro, a video forensics system from Salient Stills (http://www.salientstills.com/videofocus/stories/omaha.html). The Omaha PD purchased VideoFOCUS Pro with help from the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program, which awards grants “…to help improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner services.”
Criminalist Todd Petrick looked at several video forensics systems and there was just a ton of training required. The ability to jump in and use VideoFOCUS Pro with minimal training was the deciding factor. In addition to ease of use, Petrick needed a video forensic system that had the ability to capture and process digital video feeds.
Altogether, Petrick and his team have found VideoFOCUS Pro’s digital feature set superior to other video forensics systems, especially given that VideoFOCUS Pro can easily capture and export video from dozens of proprietary digital video formats, through innovative processing algorithms. The team also likes the ability to quickly review each camera view frame by frame. Though the department does have one other video forensics system, most digital captures are done using VideoFOCUS Pro, which also processes the majority of digital video evidence.
As for using the system, Petrick shared a recent example of VideoFOCUS Pro helping to solve a series of robberies and burglaries. Using crime scene videos processed by the system, the team was able to link the crimes, based on facial features and tattoos visible in clear stills generated by VideoFOCUS Pro. In one still, unique tattoos could be seen on a suspect’s head and hand. Other stills showed similar clothing worn by the suspects. Based on video evidence, the Omaha PD was able to connect the crimes, and identify the suspects.
The Omaha PD has used VideoFOCUS Pro to create higher resolution videos and stills for over one year, across what Petrick estimates are about 250 investigations. Typically, these cases are for the city of Omaha, but, on occasion, the system has been used to develop leads and identity suspects for federal prosecutors and smaller police departments in Nebraska and Iowa.
