Sheriff's Office gets new crime scene unit

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office has a new set of wheels for rolling out to crime scenes.

In early June, the agency debuted its new Crime Scene Unit composed of a former ambulance and a 20 foot long trailer.

"We want to be able to bring more and more (tools) to the scene," said Cpl. Rick Winer, supervisor of the evidence unit. "It's the worst feeling to get on a crime scene and need something."

The trailer and ambulance each contain dozens of items including a fiber optic scope, cameras, lighting, crime scene tape, tents, tarp shields and DNA collection kits.

"When I first saw this thing," Winer said, "I fell in love with it. Everything in here is needed and we still have room for other things."

The sheriff's office has 14 active evidence technicians, Cpl. Jennifer Bailey said -- one on every patrol squad.

Without the crime scene unit, if deputies forgot a tool or other item, only certain people could come back to sheriff's office to retrieve it because access to the evidence unit is limited.

When someone has to come back to the Law Enforcement Center on Airport Drive, it's time away from a crime scene, Winer said. The unit eliminates the need for such return trips.

The county's Division of Fire and Rescue Services donated an ambulance formerly used by the Independent Hose Company, Winer said. The trailer, which cost about $5,000, was paid for through a federal Homeland Security grant.

"It's in beautiful shape," he said. "It's just what the doctor ordered."

Instead of getting the unit professionally painted, Winer and several deputies broke out the paintbrushes and decked the vehicle in the agency's black, white and gold colors.

The donation, the grant, and the work done by the deputies saved the county and taxpayers about $125,000 -- the going price for a unit of this kind, Winer said.

Deputies must be trained to drive the unit which is about 40 feet long, Winer said. So far, eight deputies have completed training.

Since the unit went into service, deputies have taken it to a police involved shooting on June 9 in the Wellington Trace development and to junior deputy academies in Emmitsburg and Middletown.

Copyright 2008 The Frederick News-Post. All rights reserved.