2013-Annual-Report-SMALL

The Household PharmaceuticalDisposal Program was a hugepublic safety success. The programprovides residents with a costeffective and environmentally friendlymethod for citizens to properlydispose of unwanted medications.The department strategically placeddrop-boxes at eight secure sitesthroughout the city. More than2,200 pounds of medications andhazardous materials have beencollected and safely destroyed sinceApril 2013.During the initial testing of theTASER Axon-Flex Project, 80officers uploaded 3,200 evidencevideos into cloud storage. 900 of thevideos have been copied pursuant todiscovery requests from prosecutorsand IPRA requests from citizens.NMDIS developed and implementedthe use of a new CODIS, DNAcollection kit that will allow forsignificant savings in both postalcosts and storage space. New kitprocedures have also resulted ina small decrease in the manualhandling of the DNA kit samples.The Firearm and Tool Mark grouphosted the Association of Firearmand Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE)conference in June. AFTE is thepremier international organizationof forensic scientists. Hosting theconference in Albuquerque not onlydisplayed APD’s forward thinkingand highly skilled examiners; italso brought in an estimated $500thousand in revenue for the City.The DNA / Biology Unit workeda case involving the rape of a76-year-old woman on the campusof Alamosa Elementary School. Aprofile developed from evidencecollected in the case was enteredinto CODIS. The DNA from thecrime scene matched to an unrelatedcrime and linked a suspect to therape.SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCEDIVISIONIn 2013, the Major Crime SceneTeam responded to and investigatedeight officer involved shootings; 34homicides; and 22 suspicious deathsor other type of significant incidentsfor a total of 64 call outs.In 2013 the Field Investigator Unitincreased its AFIS hits from 835 (in2012) to 1,108.In 2013, the Photography Unit tookpictures that were placed in 5,384CDs of casework.Scientists working in the Firearm andTool Mark Unit worked more than 85cases, containing about 750 itemsof evidence. The scientists and atechnician entered 361 cartridgecasings into the NIBIN database.The electronic ATF tracing programfor firearms (Etrace) had almost2,350 entries after reviewing over2,760 guns.The Blood and Breath Alcohol Unitanalyzed over a 100 blood samplesfor ethanol concentration, whilemaintaining 22 Intoxilyzer 8000instruments. The Intoxilyzers wereused by APD to perform more than3,380 breath tests of suspecteddrunk drivers. The Unit Analystwent to court 30 times and provided118 hours of training time to theDepartment. The Unit completed the2013 goal of facilitating a seamlesstransition from a wet bath simulatorIntoxilyzer system to gas withoutencountering even minor issues.The Controlled Substances Unit’stwo scientists analyzed over 700cases, totaling nearly 1,300 evidenceitems. The scientists assisted incourt almost 80 times.The Latent / Fingerprint Unit was therecipient of the Team of the MonthAward for October.17John KrebsbachDirectorThe Scientific EvidenceDivision is comprised offour sections, including theCriminalistics Laboratory,Information Systems/ID,Criminalistics Investigations,and Evidence. CriminalisticsInvestigations includes MajorCrime Scene Investigations,Field Investigators, CrimeScene Specialists, andPhotograph.The APD Scientific EvidenceDivision, through theapplication of advancedscientific and investigativetechniques and procedures,provides unbiased “equalopportunities" for all membersof, and participants in, thecriminal justice system whentrying to determine the facts ofa case and ultimately the guiltor innocence of a defendant.