The Record • Friday, November 15, 2013 • A03
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Catching criminals – print by print T
alk about a midlife change. Former Ottawa Police staff sergeant Dwayne Raymond spent more than For a video 20 years as a police officer, and much of that scan time was spent perfecting his skills in forenwith sic identification. Layar But when his family decided to move across the country in 2009 to the Lower Mainland, Raymond was forced to make a drastic career change. “It was a big decision,” he told The Record. “I was having a great career there (in Ottawa), it’s a great place to work; a good department, a big department. At the time, I was a staff sergeant in charge of a 29-member forensic secCAYLEY DOBIE tion.” The move, however, turned out to be an exciting one, despite the hard work it required of Raymond. When a police officer moves from one city to another, they don’t get to keep the rank they’ve earned working for a municipal department. So when Raymond left the Ottawa Police he lost his rank of staff sergeant, which meant that when he was hired with the New Westminster Police Department Photo by Cayley Dobie/THE RECORD he started from the bottom, as a constable. “It’s daunting, especially after that amount Fine fingerprint work: Acting Sgt. Dwayne Raymond dusts a beer bottle for prints. Raymond came to the department in 2009 and has been helping develop the forensic section since of time,” he said. “But the one thing I’ve 2010, when he was appointed acting sergeant. never been afraid of is to try new things. … So starting over again, I just took it as a challenge, and it went very well.” previous crimes, their fingerprints will come when he took over he made some immediate Raymond spent seven months on patrol, back with a match. Otherwise Raymond must changes to develop the small section. but in 2010 he was called upon to help New wait to get a fingerprint of a suspect. “Trying to do more with the bodies that West’s busy forensic identification section. The fingerprint analysis process is a slow we had at the time, … trying to attend more Raymond was transferred in on a temporary one, Raymond said. calls, to do more at the calls, to attend calls basis, and he’s never left. It requires a physical comparison be done that they weren’t attending previously,” he “That went very well and they (the depart- said. and then, when the officer confirms a match, ment) decided to keep me up here,” he said. they are required to testify in court. By involving itself in more cases within “In the beginning of 2011, they made me an “We follow very strict processes because the department, Raymond felt the forensic acting sergeant and put me … if you identify somebody and give your section could gain a better in charge of the section, and opinion that that is that person, you’re saying understanding of who was that’s sort of the position I’ve that that person did that crime,” he said. committing crime in New “I often equate it to been in ever since.” There can be no mistakes, the officer must Westminster, thus beginning As the acting sergeant of be certain of their identification, Raymond doing puzzles. It’s a to track crime trends and ultithe forensics section, Raymond added. mately aiding in the arrest of challenge. It’s very is in charge of two full-time DNA is very similar to fingerprinting criminals. officers, a third in training, The forensic section employs except every person only has one DNA prominute, detailed and he has hopes the departfile, making it slightly easier to pin down a two methods to identify crimiwork that requires ment will soon approve a perpetrator, but that doesn’t mean it’s easier, nals, DNA and fingerprints. fourth. This section is defiRaymond said. While it may seem old-fashskill to be good at, nitely a much smaller version “I think the expectations of forensic secioned, and definitely not up but you have to be of what he was used to work tions, overall, have gone up simply because to CSI’s dramatic standards, with in Ottawa, but it’s just as meticulous about of the media relating to forensics,” he said. fingerprinting is his preferred capable, Raymond said. Television shows like CSI have changed method to identify a perpetrawhat you’re doing.” tor, Raymond said. “When I came here, I saw the way officers process evidence and have an opportunity to take a secincreased expectations simply because their “It’s a fantastic tool for tion that I felt was underused DWAYNE RAYMOND work is so public. Those shows also have policing,” he said. “I often Acting Sgt., New West forensics equate it to doing puzzles. It’s and probably not doing as a very condensed time frame and the real much as they could be doing forensic process takes much, much longer, a challenge. It’s very minute, within the community and detailed work that requires skill Raymond added. try and make it a better section. Something As forensic officers attend more and more to be good at, but you have to be meticulous that was more of an (integral) and invaluable crime scenes, the New Westminster section about what you’re doing.” partner within the department,” he said. continues to be very busy, which makes The fingerprints Raymond and his team Having spent seven months on the front Raymond really proud of the work he and his collect are sent for comparison to B.C. line as a patrol officer in New Westminster, team are doing to reduce crime in the city. Automated Fingerprint Identification System Raymond had seen the work of the forensic “We’re only on the cusp, I think, of doing (AFIS) or the national database also known as section from the outside. He felt the team what we’re capable of doing,” he said. AFIS. If the perpetrator of the crime they’re could be doing more to help solve crimes, so cdobie@royalcityrecord.com investigating has already been processed for
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