Recently, the Dyersburg Police Department sent six of its officers for accident reconstruction training to ensure that future investigations would be carried out as precisely and efficiently as possible.
At the Scene Traffic Investigation School, officers are trained in crash diagramming, mathematics and evidence recording to ensure proper use of crash reconstruction software. The intention of the training is to make officers rely on physical evidence rather than witness statements, according to the State Gazette.
"There are always a lot of questions in a crash," said Benny Waldrop, a crash reconstruction expert at the School. "This is a way [officers] can get in there and be given the tools to cut down on lawsuits."
Not all investigators get their training from specialized schools, however. For example, James Halikman worked for years as a crash reconstruction specialist after first serving as a military police officer. Others have also benefited from engineering and scientific backgrounds, incorporating current knowledge into the practice of accident reconstruction.
In all these cases, the importance of continued education to better grasp crash reconstruction is noted as beneficial to both the investigators and the police departments they represent.