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Clay Neely / The Newnan Times-Herald

Officer Thomas Lanyi stands inside the new crime scene van that belongs to the Newnan Police Department. Along with Lt. Tate Washington, Lanyi designed the interior to accommodate the needs of any active crime scene.

For many years, Newnan police crime scene technicians made do with a rather unorthodox vehicle for the job: a 2007 Chevy Impala.

Detectives would sort through the trunk of the car, looking for their standard tools of the trade like fingerprint kits and evidence bags. If something was left back at the office, someone would inevitably have to retrieve it.

Now, a custom-designed crime scene van is ensuring investigators have every tool at their disposal at any given time. A 2017 Dodge Ram 3500 cargo van is now the centerpiece of any active crime scene.

Officer Thomas Lanyi has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. Three years ago, the longtime Moreland resident retired from the Cobb County Sheriffs Office and began working at the Newnan Police Department as his retirement job.

After serving on patrol with Newnan, he eventually took on the position of crime scene investigator bringing him full circle in his career.

When breaking into law enforcement in the early 1980s, Lanyi cut his teeth as a crime scene investigator and evidence custodian. Getting back into crime scene investigation was like riding a bike, Layni said.

Along with Lt. Tate Washington, Lanyi helped design the interior of the truck, which allowed him to use his experience as an investigator to make sure every inch of space counted.

The van features locking drawers, a desk for fingerprint and paperwork, along with LED lights. The work area is entirely climate controlled. Work lights illuminate the outside of the van, and all evidence is safely secured inside.

The design was carried out by Leggett & Platt, a manufacturer that designs and produces various engineered components and products. Washington and Lanyi submitted their idea, and the final product was exactly as envisioned.

Anything that might be needed at the scene of a crime is now readily available.

The van is a far cry from its predecessor.

This truck is capable of handling four Impala trunks, Newnan Police Chief D.L. Buster Meadows joked. In the past, someone would have to come back to the office and return to the scene. This makes our investigations much more streamlined.

Even with all the bells and whistles, Lanyi said hes most proud of the fact that the project stayed under budget. The final cost of the truck after full customization was $41,321.73. Because it was paid for using seized assets, it came at no cost to taxpayers.

As fast as our city is growing, its a major asset to the department, Lanyi said. I think this sets us up for taking care of the needs of a growing community for a long time.

**** Clay Neely: clay@newnan.com, @clayneely

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NPD's new crime scene van signals a shift towards the future - Newnan Times-Herald