'Incriminator' Gives Police New Crime-Solving Tool
Forensic Laser Makes Solving Crimes Faster, Easier

POSTED: 8:55 am PDT September 16, 2004
UPDATED: 10:19 am PDT September 16, 2004
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento Police Department is the first agency in the state to begin using a new forensic laser that until now has only been seen on television shows such as Law & Order.

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The laser is called "The Incriminator." It's a new, powerful forensic laser that police say is making solving crimes faster and easier.

"It's enabling us to find more fingerprints than we ever could before," identification technician Lisa Deklinski said.

Using the laser, technicians wearing specially-tinted glasses can see evidence such as fingerprints or blood on walls, doors, forged checks, or other evidence that older techology might have missed.

"We're going to solve more crimes ... and get more bad guys off the streets," identification technician Barbara Anderson said.

Police said the laser can detect evidence without the use of special dust or chemicals.

The Sacramento Police Department is using the technology on all homicide, rape, assault, forgery and robbery cases.