Black Laser Learning^® Law Enforcement Side Scan Sonar Training

The ability for law enforcement officers to conduct accurate and effective sonar search operations is a skill which must be learned and practised. Fire arms training and time on the range significantly improve shooting skills. There is no difference operating a sonar. Field teams must fully understand how to operate the sonar and spend time drilling operations to perfect their craft. Recent experiments by the U.S. Navy statistically proved that additional sonar training significantly improved the sonar operators' ability to detect targets and reject false targets with far more accuracy than prior to the training.

While the law enforcement mission may differ from the military objective, the need for training and benefits from experienced instructors is not. The ability to recognize the sonar image of a drowning victim in a cluttered bottom is vastly improved if the operator has a working knowledge of sonar and has seen a library of example images.  Such training should also cover how to optimize the sonar system for specific types of search operations as well as understanding the nuances of search patterns.

All the aforementioned skills were part of an intensive two-day side scan sonar training in Baton Rouge, LA. The event was held in cooperation with the E. Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, with participation by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana Division of Fish and Game, and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Day one included 10 hours of intense classroom study focused on sonar theory and image interpretation with special emphasis on locating and identifying drowning victims. The combination of theory and field OPS allowed the officers to thoroughly understand the subject, and then practice the field techniques. The classroom also included a section on crime scene evidence collection. A properly tuned side scan sonar becomes the underwater camera accurately mapping debris and other evidence that can take dozens of hours of dive time.

Read the article: Marine Technology for Underwater Investigations by Vince Capone.