SOP's on Digital Camera use

[mark1003]

We are looking for SOP's on Digital Camera use on the fire
ground, fire investigations, and for training.

[hfd66truck]

We have no SOP's on their use.

I use one when investigating cause and origin, but I backup my digital pics with 35mm for court/legal reasons.

They are a great tool for training, pre plan, unusual incidents.

[Weruj1]

We have no SOG's on them and I have been trying to think of what some could be ? So far havent had any really pop in my head......as Dave stated with digital images and the computer software out there they could be easily tampered with and should be backed up by some 35 mm pics also.

[nmfire]

I usually take pictures on the digital video/still camera we have on the rescue truck if the incident is significant. Serious MVA's and fires mostly. They are useful for critique and training as well as website content (when appropriate). Since it is also a video camera, we can take longer movies of things too.

Usually they are "after" pictures since we are a too busy with the actual incident to be taking pictures during an extrication or fire.

We don't have an SOP on it. It is understood what is and isn't appropriate for the public webpage. There are very few of us that know how to work the thing anyway so it isn't a big issue.

[Cellblock776]

We have no SOP but take pictures of all wrecks and structure fires for our Department album.

[dfd3dfd3]

We dont have any sop on use for digital cameras although it is mentioned to use a digital camera to take pics of packages etc for Haz-Mat incidents by the HM team. You cant use it for investigations like has already been said you can alter the picture. I have used my own personal camera to take pics of buildings, barricaded doors, etc... when I am on familarization tours. What I plan to do in the future is to take pics of buildings and special situations in my territory and develop a database, so on a crappy day Ill be able to pull that up and the company can do some pre-planning and training right there in the firehouse.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

SOP's are a MUST for the use of digital photography in an official application. Here are two sources for finding suggested SOP's. (To hell with the term SOG...it doesn't mean anything and they will be considered exactly the same as an SOP in court). The first is the Scientific Working Group on Imaging Technology. Follow this link for their latest work, which includes a model SOP. http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/fsc/backissu/april2002/swgitfield1.htm#guidelines.
This link leads to a great article by Herb Blitzer that discusses several aspects of digital imaging, including SOP's.http://www.ifi-indy.org/articles/let_3_2000.pdf
Here is another link to a Blitzer article specifically about digital imaging SOP's. http://www.ifi-indy.org/articles/287_2000jun_0003673.pdf
Just for sake of background, I teach digital imaging at our police academy and am in the middle of researching and writing a paper on the forensic uses of digital imaging for a trade journal. To answer the number one question: "As of today, there is no case lawin the United States which says that digital imaging is not allowed in a court of law".

[ullrichk]

Originally posted by GeorgeWendtCFI
To answer the number one question: "As of today, there is no case lawin the United States which says that digital imaging is not allowed in a court of law".

Would you agree that, because of the potential for manipulation, the technology will be challenged at some point? Or has it been challenged and defended already?

[cozmosis]

Here's my opinion on digital photography. Those talented enough to alter the images without the changes being detected are also probably smart enough to alter print images. With a good digital camera and proper record keeping, I see no reason why digital photography is not an acceptable replacement to 35 mm.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

There have been three cases where it has been challenged. In each of these cases, the challenge was to the use of digital imaging in latent fingerprint examination.

These cases are State of Florida vs. Victor Reyes
http://www.pcprosusa.com/Forensic%20Digital%20Imaging%2 0Passes%20Scrutiny.htm
State of California vs. Philip Lee Jackson
http://members.aol.com/dbarnesphd/page4-4.htm
State of Washington vs. Eric Hayden
(All I have is a Westlaw link that is a subscription service, but the cite is 950 P.2d `024 Wash. App. Div 1. 1998)

The courts consistently upheld the admittance of digital image evidence.

In Canada, the case is HMQ v. Philip Cooper
http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/sc/00/03/s00-0342.htm

In Great Britain, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee studied the issue and reported a favorable opinion on Febraury 3, 1998.

The bottom line is that, in a forensic setting, it is simply not that easy to credibly and undetectably alter a digital image. It's one thing to cut your bosses head off and put it on a donkey's body. It is quite another to fabricate photographic evidence and have it not be detected.

In a nutshell, digital images face the same evidential challenges that film images do. The test would be that the must be relevant and they must be authentic. It is up to the photographer to prove both. When you have a good SOP, it is very easy to do it.

[Weruj1]

so are we talking about logging pics ? are saying what to take pics of ? I just dont understand what or how we are controlling the image(s)?what kind of SOP 's are we talking about ?

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by Weruj1
so are we talking about logging pics ? are saying what to take pics of ? I just dont understand what or how we are controlling the image(s)?what kind of SOP 's are we talking about ?
Why don't you read the articles in the links I posted? They answer all of your questions.

[Cellblock776]

One strike against digitals that I've noticed is that we never print the pics out and put them in the scrapbooks. When we were using the poloroid or 35mm for everything we had lots of pics going into the scrapbook on a regular basis. Lately we haven't had anyone taking pics with the poloroid and I can really tell the difference. :( The scrapbook is taking longer to fill up now.