From sketch plans to 3D scans: How could new tech change the way Singapore police solved a murder case?

That was 10 years ago. Today, the process looks entirely different – a 3D scanner can capture the room in a few sweeps and generate a detailed model.

DSP Tan drew these comparisons during an interview with the media on Monday (Jun 8). He was joined by senior crime scene specialist Toh Ah Hong, who was also part of the team that investigated the Tanah Merah murder case.

“Back in 2016, the scene was documented with photography and sketch plans, which were two-dimensional,” said Mr Toh, who is from the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX). 

He was deployed to the forensics division of the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

“With current 3D scanning technologies, we can produce a digital twin of the scene, which allows us to revisit the scene anytime to take additional measurements, for example.

“In fact, for this case, we revisited the scene several times to take further measurements – such as the distance from the cleaner’s room to the drain where the body was found – which could have been augmented through 3D scans,” he said.

If the crime scene is large, drones flying up to nearly 60m high can capture high-resolution shots of the entire area and all the details.

“Forensic officers don’t expect an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment every day,” said Mr Wong Jun Yan, who is also a senior crime scene specialist from HTX.

“(They) are purposefully deployed in cases where the crime scene is huge and photos by ground photographers won’t be able to capture enough details in a single shot.”