NCJ Number
215930
Journal
Evidence Technology Magazine Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: July-August 2006 Pages: 16-19,40
Date Published
July 2006
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the benefits of Broken Glass Stabilizer or BGS technology in the preservation of crime-scene glass and procedures for use of BGS in different types of broken-glass evidence.
Abstract
BGS technology allows the crime scene investigator to secure glass evidence. BGS is foam that forms a solid bond with the glass evidence. The BGS product is a combination of polyurethane “isocyanate” compressed gas and polyurethane “polyol” compressed gas. The use of BGS at a crime scene gives the investigator the advantage of not only photographing the damaged glass, but also recovering it for further analysis and courtroom presentation. Procedures are described in the use of BGS for four different types of broken-glass evidence: preserving a broken residential window, preserving a bullet hole in a vehicle window, broken windows with biological-evidence stains, and bullet holes in window glass. After the broken glass is stabilized, but before it is moved for further processing and analysis, the BGS should be marked with a sharpie pen labeling interior and exterior sides, case number, date and time recovered, location recovered, as well as other pertinent information. In the past, crime-scene investigators and reconstructionists have relied on photography as the only practical tool to preserve glass evidence that was perforated, penetrated, or partially shattered by a bullet or an object during the commission of a crime. BGS technology has been successfully tested on several crime scenes, allowing crime-scene investigators to secure glass evidence whether from a vehicle, storefront, home, and more.