New equipment saves LPD time

By Anna Rochelle CSI LINTON: Det. Duane Collenbaugh, an CSI at the Linton Police Department, works on a new high-tech portable computer system which retrieves and enhances video surveillance recordings, speeding up investigations. What once took weeks or months, Collenbaugh can now do in less than an hour. [Click to enlarge]

Det. Duane Collenbaugh, a 10-year veteran of the LPD, is a certified Crime Scene Investigator, trained by the Indiana State Police. Collenbaugh was the first officer in the county to become an CSI. There are now two -- the other works for the Greene County Sheriff's Department.

Collenbaugh has been trained to operate the Department's new "Video Detective," a portable laptop computer system and software made by Pyramid Vision. It enables Collenbaugh to retrieve and enhance any video from any other program or recording system.

The cost of the equipment alone was $49,500. The total cost to implement the system was around $60,000 which included special training for Collenbaugh in Houston, Texas plus airfare, lodging, meals and other incidentals.

The entire cost was paid by a CEDAP (Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program) grant from FEMA's (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Department of Homeland Security's National Preparedness Directorate.

Under this program, FEMA awarded just 500 grants to various agencies throughout the United States to help small agencies in small communities obtain equipment that would otherwise be impossible to get with limited funds.

"I'm lucky, and the City of Linton is lucky to get this," said Collenbaugh. "There were only 500 grants and I want to thank Mayor Tom Jones for his support and Chief (Troy) Jerrell for the work he did on the application."

This equipment is something that's been on LPD Police Chief Troy Jerrell's wish list for a long time, but the cost was prohibitive.

When he read about FEMA grants that would cover it, he went to work to submit an application with strict guidelines under a tight timeline.

As a patrolman, Jerrell worked on cases where video surveillance systems had recorded illegal activity, but it was often hard to retrieve. Once in hand, either the quality was not good, the picture was fuzzy, there was a glare, the subject was difficult to see or a license plate could not be read. So it would be sent to the state police lab for enhancement. Then they would wait for the result for weeks or even months while the case got cold.

"It's frustrating to have video then not be able to retrieve it or have the lighting not be right," said Jerrell. "We would be close but yet couldn't touch it."

Video surveillance recorders are being installed in more places than ever before. Jerrell says it's becoming a standard security measure at banks, ATMs, stores, and in many homes.

"People are doing a great job of installing surveillance systems and in the event of a burglary, people are getting much more information on these videos, but the typical user is not tech savvy enough to know what to do with that video once they have it. Many times they don't even know how to get it off the machine," said Jerrell.

Those days are over in Linton. Once Collenbaugh arrives on the scene, he'll have hold of the video within minutes.

He works on a computer made by the military but first developed by NASA to ride on satellites. Collenbaugh says it's built like a battleship -- unbreakable, and works fine even when in motion.

The software helps him to sharpen images, grab a still picture off a video, read a fuzzy plate number, remove a glare, see through the night and more. It also has a camcorder attached for doing active surveillance or taking panoramic videos of crime scenes.

"It's very adaptable," said Collenbaugh. "I can go to any business or residence and tackle any system they have and get that video."

Collenbaugh returned from the intensive training with basic knowledge to run the system and each day he works on it, he's refining and mastering his technique.

"It will do incredible things," said Collenbaugh, "limited only by my own creativity."

Is it really like something we watch in the lab on the CSI TV show?

"Yes, it is," said Collenbaugh.

This kind of capability is available in the state police labs at Indianapolis and Evansville and maybe at a few agencies in larger cities but not at any other place for many miles around Linton.

The "Video Detective" equipment combined with Collenbaugh's training has put the LPD on the cutting edge.

Besides being on call 24-7, ready to professionally gather all types of evidence at all kinds of crime scenes, Collenbaugh and the computer he carries now adds a new dimension to an investigation.

Instead of weeks, if a suspect has been caught on tape, Collenbaugh can have that plate number or description of a suspect or even a photo ready to distribute to local and statewide officers in less than an hour.

Since Jerrell says the LPD can provide assistance to other departments in need of these services, the LPD CSI and the "Video Detective" is a boost to law enforcement county-wide.

"It expedites our investigations," said Jerrell.

It also adds considerable value to all surveillance equipment currently installed. The videos they record were previously helpful but not always immediately usable.

"This is shrinking that gap," said Jerrell.