BALTIMORE COUNTY — It takes a lot of work to solve a crime.
And a lot of that effort happens behind the scenes, away from the crime scene.
Baltimore County Police highlighted the work their forensic services section does.
This includes things like firearms testing, where workers examine cartridge casings from crime scenes and test guns seized as evidence.
We spoke with the head of the department who shared why some examinations in the lab take longer than others.
"If one bullet has six lines of grooves with the right twist, and the other bullet has five lines of grooves with the right twist, they weren't fired from the same firearm. So that's relatively quick. If you're talking about a examination where we render an identification, saying that these two were fired and are from the same firearm, it can take days it could take a week," Jason Birchfield, Baltimore County Forensic Scientist Supervisor.
All work also has to be checked.
That expert says if he comes to a conclusion on a bullet or casing, someone else has to also come to that same conclusion before something is confirmed.
