wbozzelli posted on July 01, 2011 11:28
FULTONDALE — The city of Fultondale has now has moved its investigations unit to a separate location in the city, off of Whaley Road. The department’s team of three detectives and a lieutenant have relocated to the new building.
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the facility is a large bay, the sole purpose of which is to allow evidence technicians to work with crime scene materials.
There is even an overhead door and enough room to drive a car inside for processing. The department formerly had to pay for space at Hurst Towing & Recovery to process vehicles for evidence.
The new site has been fully operational for just over a week.
Rogers and the other technicians have handled robbery, rape, murder and other types of cases, and has processed guns, clothing and many other materials.
The department frequently sends evidence to Birmingham, to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and to the Marine Corps base Quantico.
Sgt. David Smith, one of the detectives now working out of the new facility, said the building offers plenty of room for the department to grow. It also has a more advanced computer system, which allows the detectives and technicians to expand their work and to do it more quickly.
In addition, there are three private interview rooms. Smith said privacy and security is especially important in sensitive situations such as domestic and sexual assault cases, and in cases involving children.
According to Rogers, a technician is on duty or on call 27 hours a day, seven days a week. With the new facility, technicians can now take their time in processing or preparing evidence, rather than having to rush in order to get out of someone else’s way.
Rogers said the bay is the only one like it in north Jefferson County, and that it is available for other law enforcement agencies to use.
The department recently received six new Ford Crown Victoria patrol cars, which are being striped and equipped for the road.
That brings the total number of vehicles to 30 marked and five unmarked police cars. Of the marked cars, 20 are assigned to officers, who drive them home, and 10 are utility or backup units.
In addition, the department has three two-and-a-half ton military trucks, a SkyWatch tower, an armored personnel carrier and a command center.
There are 25 sworn officers in the department and six full-time and part-time dispatchers.