With the Tempe Police Department unveiling its revamped Forensic Services Unit, residents can anticipate a new phase of crime-solving expertise in the city. A recent press release details the transformation that, under the guidance of Police Chief Ken McCoy, took two years to come to fruition. Since June 16, a squad of four new Crime Scene Specialists (CSSs) began deploying to crime scenes, equipped with extensive training to improve forensic analysis and law enforcement effectiveness.
Chief McCoy, stepping into his role in 2023, inherited a forensic unit encumbered with outdated equipment and a dearth of standardized operating procedures. The decision to shut down and rebuild is a leap towards aligning with contemporary policing standards. With a mission anchored in justice for the community, McCoy was quoted saying, “Every piece of evidence tells a story, and our specialists are dedicated to uncovering the truth with respect, precision, and heart. This is about justice—and about serving Tempe with integrity every step of the way,” in the statement obtainable through the City of Tempe news source.
Each CSS within the unit persevered through a challenging six-month training period, which was further augmented by an immersive three-month academy experience at the Mesa Police Department’s Forensic Services Lab. Following this academic stint, the specialists underwent another three months of practical, in-the-field experience, assuring their preparedness to fully process a crime scene—spanning from documentation to the preservation of crucial evidence.
Tempe's forensic team, now ready to tackle an array of crime scene scenarios, boasts an arsenal capable of uncovering latent fingerprints, documenting shoe and tire impressions in 2D and 3D, discerning toolmarks, and collecting bloodstains as well as other forms of biological evidence. They are experts as well, trained to understand serious injury or death investigations that intersect with the duties of the Office of the Medical Examiner. Their training extends to the meticulous collection of buccal swabs and precise production of inked prints among other critical procedures. Infused with technical knowledge and investigative savvy, the specialists, as per the news release by the City of Tempe, "ensuring accurate and thorough evidence processing that supports both short-term investigations and long-term justice outcomes."
