The use of thermal imaging cameras (TIC) in attacks is a relatively new concept for police officers and investigators who respond in the first place. Thermal imaging is an abbreviation for infrared thermal imaging, which can show changes in heat sources. According to Memes Consulting, although this technology has been used in the medical, engineering, and fire protection industries for decades, security personnel and investigators still have little knowledge of the technology, and they have not been involved in the attack. Take advantage of.

Thermal imaging cameras are an important tool for investigators and security personnel to respond to attacks in the first place. All experienced investigators and security personnel understand that the bruises caused by the attack may not be immediately apparent, or may not appear until days after the crime occurred. Therefore, the job of the security personnel is to record the evidence of the attack as comprehensively as possible after catching the attacker for future use by the prosecutor.

Obtaining this evidence and transferring it to the public prosecutor is crucial. Both oral testimony and written reports are valid, but a former assistant district attorney in the United States responsibly stated that photo evidence and video evidence can lead to the establishment of the case and "remove reasonable doubts."

However, in most of the attacks faced by police officers, the suspect did not cut through the victim's skin, bleed, or even have no obvious evidence of the attack. In this case, the investigator can rely on evidence such as subcutaneous bruises (bleeding) to prove the strength of the suspect used in the attack. But most bruises occur on the victim's chest, arms, neck or face, and sometimes do not show up for a few days.

The picture on the left in the picture below is a victim who was attacked, and her neck does not appear to be bruised; the picture on the right is a thermal imaging of the neck of the same victim. In the thermal imaging, the thermal map of the fingerprints on the victim’s throat can be clearly seen (photo courtesy of Police Officer Brian Bennett, with permission).

In thermal imaging, you can clearly see the heat distribution map of the fingerprints on the victim’s throat
At present, thermal imaging cameras have been widely used in construction, engineering, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and fire protection. They can actually be used for criminal investigations. Even inexpensive thermal imaging cameras can capture high-quality thermal images.

A police chief and security chief said that currently private companies and government agencies in the United States are facing budget problems for thermal imaging cameras. Some security departments and police agencies cannot afford a thermal imaging camera with a unit price of $1,000. But the field of fire protection is very different. Almost every fire department is equipped with thermal imaging cameras, even in small-scale fire departments in rural areas. This is to help firefighters determine whether there is a "heat source" between the walls or the attic space.

During the execution of the case, if the security personnel's organization does not have a thermal imager, they may need to contact their maintenance department or security team for confirmation. Relevant personnel should use the thermal image of the thermal imaging camera to prove whether the victim was injured, for example, whether the victim has fingerprints or scratches on his body. Evidence can be preserved by simply using a smartphone to take a thermal image. These images have been accepted by courts across the United States as photographic evidence of bodily injury, which has become a necessary material in personal injury cases.

It is strongly recommended that law enforcement agencies use thermal imaging cameras in all attack investigations. Because the assailant hits, grabs, kicks, or strangles the victim and other behaviors, it is very likely that the victim will be left with landmark evidence that can be recorded by a thermal image. These thermal images of the victims’ soft tissue injuries may be a decisive factor in determining the assailant’s guilt. When there are no obvious signs of trauma in some cases, you can consider using a thermal imaging camera to determine whether the victim's cells and tissues have subcutaneous damage.

In addition, thermal imaging cameras are also valuable safety tools that can help locate suspects or lost children (adults) in wild natural areas. At the same time, thermal imaging cameras can also be used in scenarios such as security, fire protection, and maintenance to help determine fire points between walls, roofs, or industrial machinery and electrical "heat sources". It can be seen that the thermal imager is a multi-functional tool, suitable for a variety of scenarios such as households, private enterprises, and government agencies.