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Police ask for cruiser replacements and a FARO 3D scanner to speed crash and crime‑scene work
Summary
Chief Tom Bernardi and Lt. Cliff Luce requested funding to replace aging cruisers (two marked, one unmarked) and to buy a FARO 3D scanner — officials said the scanner captures millions of data points, can halve scene processing time and aids courtroom presentations; members sought details on licensing, data storage and cross‑department use.
Chief Tom Bernardi and Lieutenant Cliff Luce presented the Westborough Police Department’s FY26 capital requests, focusing on fleet replacement and evidence‑documentation technology.
Luce said the department plans to replace two marked 2025 Ford Interceptor utility vehicles and one unmarked administrative vehicle, and to convert an older vehicle into a dedicated crime‑scene response cruiser stocked with investigation equipment. He explained the department prefers Ford models for logistics around upfitting and spare parts. Luce provided per‑vehicle cost estimates for gasoline and hybrid options and said the FY plan envisions a regular replacement cadence to reduce maintenance downtime and improve officer safety.
On technology, Luce described a proposed FARO 3D scanner for precise scene documentation. He contrasted traditional total‑station methods that yield roughly a few hundred points with a 3D laser scanner that produces millions of points and high‑definition photos. Testimony said the scanner reduces scene processing time — Luce cited up to a 50% reduction — enables detailed, photorealistic reconstructions for court and can be used for pre‑event planning (for example, scanning schools to build rapid access models for first responders).
Committee members raised questions about vendor lock‑in and data formats, ongoing software subscription costs (Luce estimated roughly $1,500/year after the initial three‑year maintenance and software package), cloud storage and encryption, and who would hold licenses and data for townwide access. Luce said the police would be the license holder and that exported point clouds or other deliverables could be integrated into CAD and dispatch systems; he also said FARO provides on‑site training included in the initial maintenance package.
Members discussed retention policy for evidentiary scans; Luce said the town would follow Commonwealth policies for criminal investigations and evidence retention (he cited seven years or case completion as typical evidence retention practice). No final purchasing decisions were made at the meeting; committee members asked for additional cost and licensing details to evaluate long‑term budget impacts and opportunities to share access across town departments.
