Latest news with #ClearCase
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
‘ClearCase' technology helps Volusia Sheriff's Office solve shootings faster
The Brief The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is the first in the nation to use ClearCase, a new forensic tool that speeds up shell casing analysis at crime scenes. Investigators can take pictures of shell casings with a phone, log the data in a national firearm database, and use the ClearCase machine to determine if casings match a specific firearm. This technology significantly reduces forensic processing time from weeks or months to just hours, enhancing law enforcement's ability to solve crimes quickly. VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A new device called ClearCase helps the Volusia County Sheriff's Office launch forensic investigations faster than ever. What we know VCSO Deputy Chief Brian Henderson said the initiative, carried out through a partnership between LeadsOnline and VCSO, is the department's latest effort to remain on the cutting edge of criminal investigation. "We have a sheriff that made a commitment many years ago that we will try every tool that's out there that's legally available to us to stop violent crime," Henderson said. The department is the first in the nation to deploy the technology. The program revolves around the testing of shell casings left at crime scenes. With the use of a cell phone, investigators are able to take pictures and record the location and amount of shell casings at a given scene. That information, along with other data, is later logged in a national firearm database, allowing agencies to collaborate during the investigation of crimes. For instance, if a shooting were to occur in Daytona Beach, the shell casings could be traced back to another incident in Georgia. "This is like DNA for a gun," Henderson said. After pictures are taken, the casings are then labeled and placed into the ClearCase machine. "[The] machine then triages them to determine if they all could be fired from the same firearm or different firearms," he said. The machine detects the unique markings left behind when a bullet is fired. In the past, according to Henderson, getting information such as that could take weeks or even months due to a logjam in their branch of the FDLE, which services all of Central Florida. The process is now cut down to a matter of hours. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local: Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source The information in this article comes from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office and reporting done by FOX 35's Chris Lindsay.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
Volusia Sheriff's Office becomes first law enforcement agency in the U.S. to adopt new shell casing
A new technology is allowing law enforcement to launch shooting investigations faster than ever. The Volusia Sheriff's Office is now the first law enforcement agency in the United States to use the machine called 'ClearCase,' which gives them precise information from shell casings left behind at crime scenes. Up to 20 casings can be placed on the device and within a few minutes, detectives have their complete DNA, similar to a fingerprint. Investigators can learn information like how many shooters were involved and if the guns have been used in other crimes. To get those answers before, Chief Deputy Brian Henderson said they'd have to send the evidence off to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which has a lengthy turnaround time. 'We know violent crime, the only way to combat it, is with real time accountability. We have to be able to hold people accountable close to the time when they fired the gun,' said Henderson. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
