Forensic Services Unit

From lifting fingerprints to fingers on the keyboard, the Murfreesboro Police Department’s Forensic Services Unit is always available to respond to collect crucial evidence needed to solve and prevent crimes, in both the real world and the digital world. 

The Forensic Services Unit is composed of detectives, civilian crime scene technicians, and crime data analysts who are all led by a detective sergeant.

The capabilities of the Forensic Services Unit include:

• Lifting Fingerprints and entry into the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) utilized by the TBI, FBI, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
• Ballistics analysis and cross reference of shell casings and firearms recovered at crime scenes utilizing the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network (NIBIN).
• Collection of DNA samples for comparison and cross reference by TBI through the Combined DNA Matching System (CODIS).
• Map crime scenes in 3D using a FARO 3D Laser Scanner to collect precise measurements, detailed 3D visual imagery, and accurately determine bullet trajectories.
• Capture detailed imagery of crime scenes and evidence using advanced photographic equipment and techniques.  Some of these include alternative light source (ALS), macro, long exposure, and off-camera lighting.
• Extracting crucial digital evidence from computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.
• Investigating cyber-related crimes including cyber attacks, network intrusions, and fraud.
• Mapping digital evidence from multiple sources, such as cell phone towers, to determine movement and patterns during the planning, commission, and cover-up of a crime.
• Recover and enhance video surveillance from digital video recorders for analysis and suspect identification. 
• Analyze historical crime data to determine concentrated areas of high crime in the community, to identify crime patterns, and expand on the analysis findings to predict potential future crimes.   The analysis also assists in identifying suspects using the same modus operandi.
• Provide officers on the street real-time information regarding recently trends of concentrated areas with high crime to stop the continuous crime cycle in our neighborhoods.

All detectives and crime scene technicians have received hundreds of hours of training in their relevant fields including the National Forensic Academy, United States Secret Service’s National Computer Forensic Institute (NCFI), United States Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms’ NIBIN National Correlation and Training Center (NNCTC), and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).  

In addition to collecting evidence to solve crimes at our department, our team is often called upon to assist other federal, state, and local agencies with their investigations.  Two of the units’ detectives are on the US Secret Service’s Electronic Crimes Task Force.  One is sworn by the US Marshal to assist and prosecute federal crimes. 

The Murfreesboro Police Department’s Crime Scene Unit is well trained, equipped, and adapted to respond and exceed the needs of our citizens.