600-7 Handling Dead Bodies Exposed to Public View

Question 1

The department expects officers to

Answer 1

display the highest regard for human remains and to handle dead bodies in such a manner that also provides for a thorough criminal or forensic examination.

Question 2

A dead human body that is exposed to public view shall be protected by

Answer 2

way of extending the crime scene to inhibit the public’s view of the decedent until the arrival of personnel from the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Question 3

________ or ______ should also be used to obscure public view when it is not practical to extend the crime scene.

Answer 3

Patrol vehicles, Cones

Question 4

Covering the body with a body sheet should only be used when

Answer 4

it is absolutely necessary to maintain the integrity of the crime scene during extenuating circumstances (e.g., inclement weather).

Question 5

Officers have the discretion to cover a body if

Answer 5

failure to do so would form the basis of a disturbance and covering it would assist in maintaining peace and order.

Question 6

Officers shall not search a dead body without the express consent of a

Answer 6

medical examiner or designee.

Question 7

The only exceptions to this policy are when

Answer 7

there is no other way to preserve the body from loss or destruction or there is no other way to maintain traffic flow on a highway, across a railroad line, or at an airport.