SmartDraw Helps Police Departments Document Accidents and Crime Scenes Easily

SmartDraw helps police departments document accidents and crime scenes quickly and accurately while creating diagrams that are easy to understand and legally defensible.

Make Accident Reconstructions Easily

SmartDraw makes it easy to create accident reconstructions without requiring specialized CAD training. Import Google map images and document a crash by dragging and dropping built-in symbols. Officers and investigators can focus on documenting facts with clear, courtroom-ready diagrams that are easy to create, explain, and defend.

Accident reconstruction diagram

Create Crime Scene Diagrams Easily

SmartDraw is designed for real-world investigative work, not just technical specialists. Officers can start creating accurate crime scene diagrams immediately, without CAD training or complex setup. Start with any existing floor plan and drag-and-drop crime scene symbols to create a clear, defensible scene ready for any audience.

Crime scene diagram example

Import Google Maps for Accident Reconstruction

For accidents, SmartDraw lets you import Google Maps or satellite images directly into your drawing, set it to any scale, and use it as the foundation for recreating your incident.

Google map image accident reconstruction

Import Existing Floor Plan PDFs for Crime Scenes

Whether documenting crime scenes, SmartDraw allows you to import existing floor plan PDFs or images serves as the foundation for your diagram.

Import existing floor plan into work area

Industry-Standard Accident Reconstruction Symbols

SmartDraw includes thousands of ready-made symbols you can drag-and-drop to show vehicles, signage, evidence, debris and more:

  • Cars, emergency and service vehicles like taxis, semis, buses, tractors, tow trucks, dump trucks, motorcycles, mopeds, e-scooters, and bicycles
  • Road signs, markings, and barriers
  • Realistic crash debris, damaged car components, and tire marks
  • Animals like deer, cats, and dogs
Accident reconstruction car debris symbols

Industry-Standard Crime Scene Content

Get the symbols you need to create precise crime scene diagrams including:

  • Blood spatters like arterial spurts, transfer marks, and cast-off stains
  • Spent bullet casings for pistols, rifles, and shotguns
  • Articulated body symbols
  • Symbol for weapon and drugs that include assault rifles, sub-machine guns, fentanyl, pills, crack pipes, and meth pipes
Crime scene symbols collage

Import Photos

SmartDraw allows you to import photos for both accident reconstructions and crime scenes to help you add context and support observations.

Using photo to create custom symbol

Measure Distances Accurately with Ease

SmartDraw includes easy-to-use measurement tools so investigators can place objects accurately on both accident reconstructions and crime scenes. Place symbols at exact offsets from walls, curbs, and from other items in a scene. You can also add markings on your diagram to illustrate distances to your audience that help make your case.

Measuring distances on crime scene diagram

Add Complexity with Layers

You can add layers to help separate evidence types and to help you show and hide details depending on your audience. Reduce clutter easily!

You can also use layers to prepare different versions of a diagram for internal review.

Manage complexity with distinct layers

Export to PDF

SmartDraw makes collaboration easy. Share your diagram with anyone, even if they don't own a copy of SmartDraw, with a link.

Once you're happy with your diagram, you can easily export it as a PDF or common image formats like PNG or SVG to get a high-quality visual suitable for reports and presentations.

Share your diagrams by sending a link

Create Investigation Timelines

Illustrate the sequence of events in an investigation to show when key incidents occurred, when witness statements were taken, when evidence was collected, and other milestones.

Crime scene timeline

Support Other Departments

In addition to standard law enforcement content, SmartDraw is great at creating other diagrams. For example, HR can use SmartDraw to update organizational charts and document workflows and IT can use SmartDraw to create network and technical diagrams.

Collage of diagrams

See Why Public Safety and Construction Teams Trust SmartDraw

Contact Us

"Before SmartDraw, our reports were created in a mix of Word, PowerPoint, Visio, and paper, leading to inconsistent formats and extra work. SmartDraw gave us a single, standardized platform for accident and incident documentation, making our reports clearer, more consistent, and easier to manage."

Michael Johnson
Battalion Chief, Loudoun Fire and Rescue

"Our design and construction company oversees custom home builds and remodels from initial design to completion. SmartDraw provided an affordable, user-friendly, and efficient tool for making rapid adjustments to floor plans without relying on architects or designers for every minor change. The fast setup and intuitive tools really helped us streamline our workflow."

Jake Goodew
Project Manager, Arete Construction

"The Crime Scene Unit sought to upgrade its diagramming software to enhance the quality of crime scene sketches used as discoverable documents in criminal investigations. After evaluating available options, we determined that SmartDraw best met our needs due to its ability to produce detailed, forensically accurate diagrams that integrate seamlessly with existing scene documentation tools, including photographs and 3D imaging."

Massi A. Martin, DPA
Commanding Officer, Office of Forensic Science, Crime Scene Unit, Philadelphia Police Department

"For pre-incident plans, we're able to create clear, easy-to-follow diagrams with directions and annotations that our firefighters can quickly understand on scene. For investigations, the software lets us produce accurate, professional drawings that support incident reconstruction. Overall, we've been very pleased with SmartDraw and plan to continue using it as part of our daily operations."

Read the full case study.
Jonathan Shim
Captain, Office of the Fire Marshal, Howard County Department of Fire Rescue Services

"SMCFD needed a user-friendly way to create pre-fire plans. SmartDraw allows us to import a PDF and mark it up for utility shutoffs and access points quickly and easily."

Matthew Adelman
Battalion Chief Preparedness, South Montgomery County Fire Department

"As our design services grew, pen and paper simply couldn't keep up. SmartDraw gave us the modern tools we needed for creating space plans and floor plans. It's proven to be a great tool for our sellers to quickly provide customers with feedback on dimensions and fit."

Aaron Schulz
Director of Inside Sales Channels & Sales Operations, National Business Furniture

"SmartDraw has all the tools we need to create site and venue maps for our events. We can import a satellite view of an area and overlay our event layout as a scaled drawing. Not only is SmartDraw intuitive, but their support is excellent."

Emily Rivera
Director, Vendor of Production Services, National MS Society

Click the link below to see all customer success stories.

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Trusted by Millions of Users

SmartDraw is easy to do business with according to G2 SmartDraw has best roi according to G2 SmartDraw is easy to setup with according to G2 SmartDraw is ranked top 50 in CAD Users love SmartDraw on G2 SmartDraw is a leader according to G2 SmartDraw is easy to implement according to G2 SmartDraw has best in class support according to G2 SmartDraw is a easy to admin according to G2
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About SmartDraw for Police Departments

What is SmartDraw and how is it used by police departments?

SmartDraw is diagramming software that helps police departments create clear and accurate diagrams for accident reconstructions, crime scene investigations, and traditional diagrams like police processes and organizational charts. Officers and investigators can quickly build diagrams using drag-and-drop symbols and intuitive tools. These diagrams can be used in incident reports, internal documentation, investigations, insurance cases, and courtroom presentations.

What types of diagrams can police departments create with SmartDraw?

Police department use SmartDraw to create a wide range of investigative and documentation diagrams including:

  • Accident reconstruction diagrams
  • Crime scene diagrams
  • Investigation timelines
  • Emergency response plans
  • Incident reports
  • Flowcharts and process maps
  • Timelines
  • Organizational charts
  • Network diagrams
How does SmartDraw help with accident reconstruction?

SmartDraw provides templates and specialized symbol libraries designed specifically for accident reconstruction. As a first step, SmartDraw lets users import existing floor plans, Google Maps images, or other satellite photos. Users can adjust the scale of the imported image to match their desired scale for their drawing and then add symbols to recreate an accident scene by placing vehicles, debris, and other elements in the diagram.

Typical elements included in accident reconstruction diagrams include:

  • Vehicles involved in the crash
  • Lanes, intersections, and traffic signals
  • Skid marks and debris
  • Direction of travel
  • Points of impact
  • Witness or vehicle positions

The resulting diagram helps investigators clearly illustrate what happened during the incident and can serve as evidence in insurance claims or legal proceedings.

Can SmartDraw help recreate the sequence of events in an accident?

Yes. Accident reconstruction diagrams can show vehicle positions before, during, and after a collision. You can use different pages or layers to separate the sequence of events. When using layers, you can show all events at the same time or show only what matters for the investigation or context the diagram is shown. Investigators can depict travel direction, points of impact, skid marks, debris, and witness positions to reconstruct how the crash occurred.

Can SmartDraw diagrams be drawn to scale?

Yes. Crime scene and accident diagrams can be created to scale. Users can choose from common built-in scales or define their own custom scale. Investigators can measure the distance between evidence, bodies, vehicles, or other objects and recreate those measurements in the diagram. This allows the diagram to represent the real scene accurately and makes it easier to analyze relationships between objects.

Can investigators import maps into SmartDraw?

Yes. SmartDraw allows investigators to import images such as satellite maps or photos of the accident or crime scene and use them as the base of a diagram.

For example, officers can:

  • Import a Google Maps or satellite image of a crash location
  • Scale the imported map to match the scale of the diagram in just a few clicks
  • Overlay vehicles and evidence markers
  • Add measurements and annotations
Can investigators import existing floor plans into SmartDraw?

Yes. SmartDraw allows investigators to import any existing floor plan files in PDF or PNG format.

For example, officers can:

  • Import a PDF blueprint or floor plan file
  • Scale the imported file to match the scale of the diagram in just a few clicks
  • Drag-and-drop symbols for evidence and other details
  • Add measurements and annotations
How does SmartDraw help create fire pre-plans?

SmartDraw includes extensive symbol libraries designed for police and forensic work. These libraries allow investigators to drag and drop commonly used items directly into their diagrams.

Examples include:

  • Vehicles including tractors, tow trucks, dump trucks, flatbeds, cement trucks, motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, e-bikes
  • Vehicles in different collision states that depict states like being rolled over or front hood damage
  • Pedestrians
  • Road signs and traffic markings
  • Evidence markers
  • Animals like deer, cats, and dogs
  • Road signs
  • Roadway templates that include highway intersections, overpasses, turning lanes, four-way intersections, parking zones, and medians
  • Top view of buildings to depict different roof types
  • Emergency signs
  • Weapons including assault rifles and submachine guns
  • Blood spatter patterns
  • Bloody hand prints
  • Bloody foot prints
  • Bullet casings
  • Articulated body symbols that can be repositioned
  • Drugs including fentanyl, pills, crack pipes, meth pipes, and more

These specialized symbols help investigators represent scenes accurately and consistently.

Can SmartDraw be used for crime scene investigation diagrams?

Yes. SmartDraw provides templates specifically designed for crime scene documentation with intuitive tools and a large crime scene related symbol library. Investigators can import an existing floor plan or satellite image then adjust the imported image’s scale to match the desired scale of the diagram. They can also draw a crime scene from scratch. Investigators can map a room, building, outdoor location, or entire scene and place evidence markers exactly where items were found.

Crime scene diagrams may include:

  • Floor plans of the scene
  • Furniture and structural elements
  • Evidence locations
  • Bodies or victim positions
  • Weapons or shell casings
  • Blood spatter or impact patterns
Can SmartDraw be used to diagram both indoor and outdoor crime scenes?

Yes. Crime scene diagrams in SmartDraw can easily represent nearly any type of location, including:

  • Residential buildings
  • Apartments or houses
  • Commercial buildings
  • Parking lots
  • Streets or intersections
  • Parks or outdoor areas
Can multiple people collaborate on accident reconstruction and crime scene diagrams?

Yes. SmartDraw supports real-time collaboration so multiple users can view and edit diagrams simultaneously.

Teams can:

  • Review the evidence together
  • Modify the location of vehicles and debris
  • Leave comments and feedback
  • Track revisions
  • Share diagrams via secure links
Can SmartDraw diagrams be updated as an investigation evolves?

Yes. Investigations often develop over time as new information becomes available. SmartDraw diagrams can be edited quickly to reflect updated evidence, revised measurements, or additional findings. SmartDraw has version control that lets you see how a diagram has evolved and who made the edits.

Investigators can also use layers or pages to keep track of different phases of an investigation. This would be useful if they needed to access older versions to reference in court.

SmartDraw’s power and flexibility allows investigators to refine their diagrams as the case progresses.

Can SmartDraw help investigators organize case timelines?

Yes. In addition to crime scene and accident reconstruction diagrams, SmartDraw can create timeline diagrams that illustrate the sequence of events in an investigation. These timelines can show:

  • When incidents occurred
  • When evidence was collected
  • Witness statements
  • Key investigative milestones

This helps investigators organize complex cases and communicate findings more clearly.

Can investigators import photos into SmartDraw?

Investigators can import photographs from a crime scene or accident scene to provide additional context or recreate custom objects as diagram symbols.

How can investigators use shape data for crime scenes and accident reconstructions?

Yes, every symbol in SmartDraw can hold structured data.

Investigators can add data about a witness’s name or statement for example. They can also add detailed information about a piece of evidence like its color or state. This data would only available be as a tooltip when the shape is hovered over in the diagram. SmartDraw also allows data to be exported as a manifest, so investigators can create a report using any data entered.

Can police departments standardize their diagrams with SmartDraw?

Yes. Departments can create standardized templates, symbol libraries, and diagram styles so all officers produce consistent documentation.

Standardization helps ensure:

  • Clear communication between investigators
  • Consistent report formats
  • Faster documentation of incidents
  • Easier training for new officers

This can improve both investigative efficiency and documentation quality.

Is SmartDraw difficult to learn?

No. SmartDraw is designed to be easy to use, even for investigators without CAD or drafting experience. Officers can start with templates, import any existing floor plan or map images, and simply drag and drop symbols into the diagram instead of drawing everything manually.

This allows investigators to focus on documenting the facts rather than learning complicated software.

Where are SmartDraw diagrams stored?

Your police department can store diagrams directly on SmartDraw's free cloud storage or using their preferred existing cloud storage system, including:

  • SharePoint
  • OneDrive
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • Box

This allows organizations to maintain existing folder structures, permissions, and security policies.

Can SmartDraw work with a department's existing software?

Yes. SmartDraw integrates with many commonly used workplace tools, including:

  • Microsoft 365 and Office (Word, PowerPoint and Excel)
  • Google Workspace
  • Confluence
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Slack

These integrations make it easy to add diagrams into reports and operational documents.

How can police departments share SmartDraw diagrams?

SmartDraw diagrams can be shared in several ways:

  • Shareable web links
  • PDF exports
  • Image files (PNG or SVG)
  • Embedded diagrams in documents or presentations

This makes it easy to distribute diagrams to officers, investigators, other law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and insurance companies.

Can SmartDraw export to PDF?

Yes, SmartDraw will let police departments export accident reconstruction and crime scene diagrams to PDF.

What other types of diagrams can you make with SmartDraw?

In addition to accident reconstruction diagrams and crime scene diagrams, SmartDraw lets police departments make traditional diagrams like:

  • Organizational charts
  • Flowcharts
  • Process maps
  • Network diagrams
  • Timelines
  • Technical diagrams

Easily Document Accidents and Crime Scenes

Get SmartDraw to document accidents and crime scenes quickly and accurately.