How Drone Mapping Assists Police Investigations

Forensic mapping specialists from the Windham, ME, Police Department use drones alongside GIS software to analyze vehicle crash sites and crime scenes. Detective Eugene Gallant and Captain Jason Burke shared their experiences using geospatial software for police work at the Blue Marble GEOTalks® User Conference in January. The team demonstrated how they used Global Mapper Pro® to process the imagery they collected in these emergency response scenarios.

During this episode of the GEOTalks Podcast, we discussed Eugene Gallant and Jason Burke’s insights from the event—as well as a few additional attendee questions—and the impact of their work with GIS technology.

Maine Uses Photogrammetry Software to Map Motor Vehicle Crashes

Officers Gallant and Burke respond to emergencies equipped with drones to document the scene. They create 3D models of the crash sites using Global Mapper’s Pixels to Points® tool that can be used in court proceedings as evidence or during ongoing investigations to analyze details in the preserved scene.

Efficient Drone Imagery Processing

Drone deployments have been increasing as a part of the department’s emergency response efforts. During the interactive Q&A at the user conference, Captain Burke shared that “Whatever Global Mapper does in the background has greatly improved the processing speed on our computers. We’re down from a couple of hours of processing time to (on average) 30-45 minutes.” In recent updates, Blue Marble Geographics’ developers have streamlined the advanced photogrammetry tools to improve speed and output quality.

Ensuring Accuracy with Ground Control Point Identification

In their session, Officers Gallant and Burke also spoke about the value of using ground control points (GCPs) when visualizing crucial information in drone imagery.

Before flying their drones, they placed physical targets on the ground and added markings in red on the pavement to indicate key points of the car’s path as it went off the road. Using the Measure tool in Global Mapper, they visualized the distances between GCPs and the red markings in the final map export (shown below). Pixels to Points can also automatically identify GCPs in drone imagery, which can make creating accurate visualizations easier for certain users.

Drone Mapping That Fits Your Team’s Budget

Officers Gallant and Burke have been incorporating GIS software into their work at the Windham Police Department for years; however, drone mapping beats the department’s legacy survey methods in time spent on site and processing.

Captain Burke indicated that using a drone can save them up to 2.5 hours when compared to collecting data with a total station. Drone-collected data is a great alternative to ground surveys; it not only saves time and effort, but it makes it possible to increase survey frequency.

This isn’t the first discussion about the efficiency of drone surveying on GEOTalks. Learn more about how our users have saved time with drone imagery workflows in these episodes:

• Studying Coastal Salt Marshes Using Drones | GEOTalks Podcast Ep. 1
• Understanding Secondary Tropical Dry Forests with Lidar Technology | GEOTalks Podcast Ep. 6
• The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Communities | GEOTalks Podcast Ep. 7

Geospatial Data Assists Police Investigations

GIS software and geospatial data play a vital role in police investigations. In addition to crash site analysis, the officers use three drones equipped with thermal imaging technology in cases involving lost people and when tracking suspects. Geospatial data—specifically drone imagery—enables the officers to accurately parse through important information without wasting time.

Global Mapper for Drone Mapping

Global Mapper Pro is an all-in-one GIS software that provides users with an accessible method to process and analyze drone data. Be sure to check out ‘What It Takes To Fly A Drone’ on YouTube and our social media platforms to start your drone mapping journey. It’s a great way to learn about requirements for commercial drone flying in the United States, as well as how Global Mapper Pro can help you make the most of your drone data.

Resources

• Connect with the Windham, ME Police Department
• Watch their session from GEOTalks 2025

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