Mission
The Vehicular Crimes and Reconstruction Unit's primary mission is to provide investigative expertise and expert court testimony when a vehicle is the instrumentality in a homicide (first degree murder, manslaughter or negligent homicide), aggravated assault and related crimes; and/or when the state of
Arizona may be exposed to civil litigation as a result of a collision. The Unit's secondary mission is to provide class instruction in the area of collision investigation and reconstruction to our agency as well as other agencies throughout the state.
History
The concept of a Vehicular Crimes Unit is not a new one. The Department recognized the need for specially trained officers in the area of collision reconstruction and formed the Accident Reconstruction Unit in 1976. This early unit provided accident investigation and reconstruction expertise to the Department of Public Safety and other criminal justice agencies throughout Arizona.
While the unit made several moves in and out of different bureaus, Highway Patrol, Criminal Investigations and then the Central Regional Crime Laboratory, it remained until April of 2000. In September of 1998, the Highway Patrol districts in the Phoenix Metropolitan area formed the Vehicular Crimes Unit.
This unit was responsible for handling collision scene responses in the Phoenix area fitting criteria very similar to the current call out criteria. On April 1, 2000, the Reconstruction Unit from the crime laboratory and the Metro Vehicular Crimes Unit merged to form the current Vehicular Crimes and Reconstruction Unit.
Accident reporting began as early as the 1920's and 30's. Through time the reporting process has expanded and been refined to conform the needs of the motoring public and the infrastructure which they drive upon. Today the purpose of collision investigation can be broken into three areas.
To provide drivers, vehicle owners and others involved in a collision with the factual information necessary for processing claims and/or possible civil litigation.
To collect factual statistical data for the design and use in collision prevention programs and safety programs for safer roads, safer vehicles, seat belts, airbags, brakes, tires, etc., better laws.
To determine statutory violations, if any, and to document those facts which proof the elements of those violations.
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Collision reconstruction takes the information from the investigations, and through analysis, attempts to answer questions related to the speed, dynamics (motion of the traffic units) and/or answers to specific questions. A few of the more commonly asked questions are:
Who was the driver?
Was the seat belt worn?
Where were the victims seated?
Therefore, the purpose of collision reconstruction can best be described as follows: to provide expert opinions and conclusions based on the factual data of a collision using scientific methodology. These opinions and/or conclusions are the products of a reconstruction.
Based on the rules of evidence, only those officers qualified as an expert in the field of collision reconstruction through knowledge, skill, experience, training and/or education may testify to these opinions. The reconstruction may be very superficial or it may be in depth, depending on the opinion being sought. These opinions may deal solely with the collision investigation or they may be part of a criminal investigation.
Training
The members of the Vehicular Crimes and Reconstruction Unit have received advanced training in collision reconstruction as well as many other related areas. This training includes instruction provided by many agencies, schools and universities across the United States. The members consistently seek out additional training in an effort to remain current with new and improved methods of reconstruction.
In addition to receiving training, the VCU members instruct in the areas of collision investigation, collision reconstruction, measuring with electronic devices, and crime scene management to our agency as well as others. We currently assist in instructing the 20 hour block of basic collision investigation at the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy. We also instruct a 56 hour block of basic and advanced investigation techniques during the Arizona Department of Public Safety's Advanced Basic Training Academies.
During the year 2001, plans are being made to provide additional training and resources to additional district officers and expand the policies and procedures used by the VCU. This training will include outside instruction from various professional training institutions such as Northwestern University's Traffic Institute, Institute of Police Technology and Management and/or Texas A&M University. Because of the cost of outside training not all of our officers are able to get advanced or reconstruction training.
On a monthly basis (usually 1st or 3rd Wednesdays) the VCU conducts in house training in the reconstruction field. This is open to all VCU members statewide as well as any other officers who would like to attend (with your supervisor's approval of course). This training began last fall and usually last up to 4 hours. By the end of this year, we will combine these mini-classes into a 40 hour block of introductory reconstruction and provide it on an "as needed" basis to DPS personnel. Additionally, we will be providing several short blocks of "roll call" training to address current issues. These training blocks will be one or two hours in length and AZPOST approved.
Equipment
There are many specialized computer software programs and items of equipment essential to the modern collision investigator and reconstructionist. The current police reconstructionist will find himself presenting his opinions along side private sector deconstructionists hired by the defendant or plaintiff, depending on venue. Many times the private sector deconstructionists are retired officers with years of experience, engineers with extensive educational backgrounds, and both with access to the latest in reconstruction gadgetry. The Department of Public Safety, Vehicular Crimes and Reconstruction Unit, with the assistance of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, remains a leader in the use of modern technology.
The equipment and software is used to measure and diagram Collision scenes; collect specific physical data such as grade, super elevations and/or drag factor; run complex mathematical formulas and the computer simulations based on physical scene evidence and scientific principals. The following list gives an overview of a few of the items being used by the Department of Public Safety:
Trimble Global Positioning System:
Used to Measure and record a computerized mapping file of the collision scenes which is downloadable into any one of many mapping software programs. This system can be operated by one investigator and relies on a line sight or clear air to at least 5 satellites orbiting overhead.
Nikon Accident Investigation Mapping System (A.I.M.S.):
Used to Measure and record a computerized mapping file of the collision scenes which is downloadable into any one of many mapping software programs. This is a surveyors instrument which consists of the instrument itself and a prism pole. This system requires two investigators and relies on a line sight between the instrument and the prism.
Vericom 2000 and G-Analyst:
This equipment tests the road surfaces and determines the friction value at the location of the test. They can measure deceleration forces, acceleration forces and lateral forces.
Laser Technology's LTI 20/20 and Impulse 2000 Mapping systems:
Used to Measure and record a computerized mapping file of the collision scenes which is downloadable into any one of many mapping software programs. This system can be operated by one investigator and relies on a line sight laser measurements to two fixed control points within the scene.
Photomodeler Pro:
This software, under specific conditions, allows measurements to be taken from existing photographs of a collision or crime scene.
AutoCAD Lt., Crime Zone, Visio Technical, Generic CADD, and a few other computer programs:
All of these programs are used by the members of the Vehicular Crimes and Reconstruction Unit to download and complete the scale collision diagrams. AutoCAD is our primary drafting program due to its compatibility and the training available through our local community colleges.
HVE2D:
This is a state of the art, 2 dimensional collision simulation program allowing us to test and confirm our collision theories
based on calculations made from the evidence at the scene.
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