The Huntsville Police Department (HPD) has updated its forensic operations, moving from traditional investigative methods to digital forensics and new facilities. This change includes the opening of the Crime Scene and Evidence Warehouse Complex. The new facility is part of HPD’s efforts to improve evidence collection, preservation, and analysis as Huntsville grows.
In the past, HPD investigators used manual tools such as film cameras, tape measures, and fingerprint kits. Lisa Hamilton, a former Crime Scene Investigator who joined HPD in 1989, remembers when digital evidence was not available. She says that while technology has changed, basic forensic methods are still important for solving cases.
HPD began focusing on digital forensics in 2019 with the creation of the North Alabama Multi-Agency Crime Center. Investigator Byron Thompson, who trained at the U.S. Secret Service Academy, helped HPD start working with mobile devices, tablets, and smartwatches. The number of digital devices processed by HPD is expected to exceed 550 by the end of 2025, up from 38 in 2020…