The Target Crime Lab www.privateofficer.com

MINNEAPOLIS MN. Nov. 19 2007― When people talk about Target, most people think about the retail stores festooned with red bull's-eye symbols. But did you know the Minnesota retail giant is also known around the world for its focus on solving crimes?

Target's crime lab and forensic experts often provide the missing link to connect killers to their crimes.Their lab, which was designed to conquer more petty crimes committed in their own stores, is not run by law enforcement. However they now provide help solving crimes to police.To date, Target has offered assistance to more than 100 different agencies. They don't charge a dime. All they ask for is a department patch in return.

The Dru Sjodin case was one of the first Target was consulted on. Some of her last moments were caught on tape. So were the movements of her convicted killer."There's no way of knowing what's actually inside of his mind, but obviously he makes some observation towards that camera that's up in the ceiling," said a crime lab employee. "Not all the cases we work on have happy endings."This proved to be the case with Sjodin, whose body was found in a ravine months after she vanished. The surveillance video was a key piece of evidence in the prosecution of Alfonso Rodriguez Jr."This was very important because it showed Alfonso in close proximity to the area of the disappearance," said the employee.

Rick Lautenbach, who manages the Target Forensic Service Lab here and in Las Vegas, said "When there's a serious crime that perhaps we can help with and we have the means to do it, it's important for us to be able to do that when we can."Most of the people running the lab are former law enforcement. Brent Pack is a former special agent with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command. Earlier this year, he helped police put Anthony Albert Gomez behind bars."

One of the best things I like about the job is finding that one piece of evidence, that one thing that ties in a criminal to the crime," said Pack, now a senior investigator with Target Forensic Services.Gomez had recorded images of himself beheading a girl's dog, before he left it on her doorstep in a box. When police arrested him, they called Target to get the images off his phone. Faced with the evidence, Gomez pleaded guilty."It was gratifying to see his face in the paper not too long ago," said Pack.

Target doesn't limit their scope to simply cracking cases in Minnesota. The impact of its crime lab spans the globe. Take, for instance, the murder of Kamila Garsztka, whose body was found floating in a marina in England. Her purse was found in her boyfriend's apartment.Using video of Garsztka from cameras positioned all around the city, Casey Cottle spent over 80 hours enhancing and analyzing shades of color on her coat."This light area goes all the way up over the shoulder. So it couldn't be just a part of the jacket," said Cottle. "There's definitely something on the shoulder and to the investigation and in trial, that was a huge part."Amilton Bento got a life sentence.Target estimates law enforcement cases make up about 30 percent of the lab's case load, and the rest focus on issues closer to the core of its business. Occasionally there is crossover."If we can offer the same level of scientific ability to answer the questions that are before the court, or the questions investigators have, we want to be able to do that," said Lautenbach.That is a mission statement Target plans to validate far into the future."I know from being here 12 years that Target is sincere. If all companies did what we do, that would be really powerful," said Lautenbach.With all the sophisticated technology, some customers might wonder if Target is collecting information on its shoppers. While Target has security cameras, like everyone else, they emphasized to us they only use their lab to focus on criminal activity, not people's buying habits.

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