by Sherri Hogan

A demanding two week Forensic Surveying Training program is currently being offered at the Justice Institute of Canada/Atlantic Police Academy in Slemon Park, Prince Edward Island. This course is the only one of its kind in Canada and is the first course of this nature held at the Atlantic Police Academy.

The events of September 11, 2001 have brought home to all Canadians the inherent vulnerability of our society and the need to be able to respond to global terrorism, through law enforcement activities and preparedness. The Justice Institute of Canada/ The Atlantic Police Academy is playing a vital role in these efforts by providing comprehensive training to fourteen police officers from Central and Atlantic Canada in relation to Forensic Surveying Techniques.

This Forensic Training program is designed to provide investigators with the knowledge and expertise to utilize state of-the-art technology to measure, record, and identify critical evidence that will be invaluable in analyzing any scene.

When an incident involves an explosion, fire, vehicle collision, homicide, airplane crash, or mass casualty sites, critical evidence is often contained within these scenes. Use of conventional Surveying Techniques utilized by Engineers has been interfaced with Law Enforcement to meet the complex demands of detection and apprehension. Through electronics, infrared technology, reflector less beams, and computer aided drafting, a large complex scene can be measured and plotted with a considerable reduction in time and increase of accuracy. For example, this training and technology will enhance safety and reduce road closures which translates to shorter commodity interruptions on streets and highways which is welcomed by both the transportation industry and the public at large.

With seventy two years of combined experience, a Nationally recognized team of experts from The Viscount Group Inc. provide the training and skills necessary to master these tasks.

"Over a two week period, officers will learn to perform measurement tasks associated to elevations, profiles, mapping and plotting through a combination of lectures and practical exercises that simulate both crime scenes and disaster sites," states Brian Lidstone, Course Co-ordinator. "Often working under adverse conditions, extreme temperature, darkness and time restraints, the officers are trained to plan and execute the task necessary to record critical evidence at any scene with an impressive degree of speed and accuracy."

As part of the program, participants were involved in a training exercise that involved the simulation of a vehicle bombing. A multi tasked Forensic Surveying Team demonstrated their skills, speed, and accuracy in mapping evidence at the scene through the simultaneous use of seven total stations and fourteen officers.

Agencies in Attendance:
Thunder Bay Police Service
Ottawa Police Service
Guelph Police Service
Niagara Regional Police Service
Durham Regional Police Service
Ontario Provincial Police
New Glasgow Police Service
Fredericton Police Service
Saint John Police Service
Halifax Regional Police Service
R.C.M.P. Newfoundland
R.C.M.P. Prince Edward Island