CAPE CORAL, FLA — The Cape Coral Police Department (CCPD) is one of 13 agencies in the United States to receive a grant from the Department of Justice for new technology that will be used to investigate violent and drug-related crimes.
Kasey Buckner Brager, a Forensics Specialist with CCPD, is excited for the progress the technology will bring.
"It’s amazing," she said. "I cried when they told me we received it."
The DOJ has given more than $200,000 worth of new equipment and updates to their forensics unit.
"We are the only local law enforcement agency in Southwest Florida to have this type of equipment," said Buckner Brager.
These new tools will help the forensics unit, as well as detectives, throughout investigations, and bring justice and closure to families faster.
"These [tools] are used for a wide range of investigations from sexual assaults... to overdoses, shootings," Buckner Brager said. "If we need to detect or clean up a scene where someone has fixed damage... to hide evidence. This will assist us in all of that. We have a much stronger case in court, because physical evidence doesn’t lie."
Even though CCPD is the only agency in South Florida with this technology, they can help other agencies.
"If other agencies around us want to use it, they would need to call us and we would have to come out and help them with their investigation," said Buckner Brager.
The Forensics Unit is fully trained on the new technology and is ready to start using it this week.
