New APD Team Collects Video Evidence, Saving Time for Detectives

Sept. 9, 2020

A new APD team is collecting video evidence, saving crucial time for detectives as they investigate crimes. The initiative is helping detectives take advantage of the growing number of people who have surveillance video for security at their homes and businesses.

The Digital Image and Video Recovery Team (DIVRT) has received 400 requests for video evidence since the January launch of the program.

“Most home and business owners want to help us with video evidence,” said APD Deputy Chief Art Gonzalez. “This team makes it easier and more efficient to gather that video evidence, and ultimately helps us make arrests.”

The team includes three technicians with a combined 60 years’ law enforcement experience. They are called in when investigations are underway, traveling to businesses and residences to find surveillance video.

“There’s nothing more convincing when you can play a copy of a surveillance video clip and on video show a judge or a jury show them on video what exactly you’re portraying to them verbally,” said Greg Toya, a DIVRT Tech.

Additionally, APD uses a program called the Security Camera Analytical Network or SCAN, which maps the location of security cameras across Bernalillo County. Both law enforcement and prosecutors can use SCAN to identify security cameras near crime scenes, connecting criminals to one another and to crimes.

If you have a security camera system at your home or business, we encourage you to sign up for SCAN. You can sign up at www.cabq.gov/scan.

A video is posted with interviews about the DIVRT unit.