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Public Payrolls 2014: LCPD crime ID technician gathers and preserves evidence [Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M. :: ]
[April 19, 2014]

Public Payrolls 2014: LCPD crime ID technician gathers and preserves evidence [Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M. :: ]


(Las Cruces Sun-News (NM) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) April 20--LAS CRUCES -- It could be argued that TVs are a big part of Jerry Barreras' professional life.

His desk at the Las Cruces Police Department holds a massive, 52-inch digital TV screen that more specifically serves as his computer monitor. He needs it for his job as a crime identification technician.

Popular television shows also glamorize his profession, though they only depict a small bit of the many things Barreras does.

"The most unusual thing is responding to the calls in the field," said Barreras, explaining why his job is so different than city employees who work a traditional 8-to-5 office job. "One of the biggest challenges about this is that I'm always learning, there's always something to learn." Barreras is one of six city employees who works in the Identification Section of LCPD. His work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, but nothing really is typical. Those hours can -- and do -- extend beyond the average work day, especially when he is on-call and has to go to a crime scene, the location of a crash, or to investigate alleged child abuse.



"There's been times when any one of the six of us in the Identification Section might end up working through the night into the next morning," Barreras said. "Sometimes, you're running on extreme energy. You can end up working 80- to 90-hour weeks.

"On a basic call, I can take anywhere from 20 photos to as many as 300. We're support services for police officers and detectives who are working on a case. We help them gather or preserve evidence in investigations that can later be presented in court." Chief Jaime Montoya said the Las Cruces Police Department's ID unit has continued to evolve along with the changing times.


"Technology is rapidly changing toward the digital age and the ID unit has changed as well to parallel this change," Montoya said. "The ID unit will process crimes scenes using digital cameras and recorders, and with the help of other sections they can perform a 3-D digital scan of the crime scene. Employees of the ID unit use technology and software to enhance video from crimes scenes as well." Other duties of ID unit employees include crime scene processing, packaging evidence or fingerprints to send to the state crime lab; and operating the machine that measures breath alcohol levels of motorists suspected of driving while intoxicated.

Photos are taken, video is shot, and even the slightest pieces of evidence that could be used to tell the story of what happened are collected, identified, preserved and inventoried. Video from other sources has to be processed and reviewed for use in an investigation.

"It can be interesting and exciting at the same time," Barreras said. "It is a job where you do try to put the pieces of the puzzle together. We can go from misdemeanor to a homicide in the matter of a phone call. ... In this field, you see a lot of things people don't see." For all of this Barreras, who has been in LCPD's Identification Section since 2007, is paid $40,411 a year. He takes his profession, his career, very seriously.

"When I was leaving high school, I knew then I wanted to be in law enforcement," he said. "Doing this for as many years as I have, I've learned that you're affecting somebody's life here." Montoya said Barreras is a valuable member of the Las Cruces Police Department and a great example and role model of an outstanding city employee.

"Jerry Barreras is the unofficial leader of the three-person identification unit," Montoya said. "He is looked upon to get things done and is readily available to assist anyone that may need the assistance of ID.

"I remember when Jerry began (in 2003), he was a transport officer. He has since moved on to the ID Section where he has brought his strong work ethic with him ... Jerry has also given suggestions on ways to improve the ID Section that have been able to incorporate into this section to make it more efficient. I thank him for his hard work and continued dedication to our department." But the TV glamour of a crime scene investigator is starkly different in real life.

"You can see a lot of horrific, tragic things," Barreras said. "Some of the memories can, and do, stay with you." It is also possible for an identification technician to work at an active crime scene, where their safety could be on the line.

"You do feel fear sometimes," Barreras said. "But you're also here to help the officers and detectives who are gathering information and evidence." In weighing the good and bad, Barreras is sticking with his profession for the long haul.

"I'm planning to be here until I retire, and I still have something like 13 years to go," he said. "The city has given me opportunities to improve myself, and to support my family. It's made me a better citizen; it makes me think about doing the thing every time.

"You've got your reputation and integrity, and you want to maintain that. You've got to do the right thing." Steve Ramirez can be reached at 575-541-5452.

___ (c)2014 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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