Processing the Crime Scene Flashcards
Actions taken by officers on scene determines:
the success and failure of the case
Ensure actions are taken to:
protect life, property, preserve evidence
Preliminary investigation
initial inquiry by officers to establish facts and circumstances of a suspected crime and preserve any evidence
Trace evidence
any type of material left at or taken from a crime scene or the result of contact between two surfaces
Corpus delecti
evidence that established that a crime has been commited
Associative evidence
links a suspect to a crime ( prints, bloodstains, fibers)
Protective search
sweep of the premise to discover victims or perpetrators. If evidence observed is in plain view, it may be seized without a warrant
First priority of a scene
protecting the scene
victims
witnesses
bystandards
Flash description
quick information over the radio aka BOLO
CYMBL RULE
Vehicles: color year make/model body style LP number
Securing the scene
unauthorized personnel can destroy or contaminate evidence, introduce items that could mislead the investigation, and provide defense attorneys basis for discrediting the findings
What logs should be kept for a crime scene
- contamination log
- crime scene long
- document personnel in scene
- log evidence that has been compormised
Conducting a scene walk through
essential to minimize disturbance and prevent the loss and/or contamination of physical and fragile evidence
Evidence serves 4 objectives
- determine facts of crime
- identify lawbreakers
- aid in arrest of the suspect
- aid in criminal prosecution
Crime scene search phases
surveying, documenting, recording evidence, searching for prints
Most common search patters
spiral search, strip/line search, grid search, quadrant search
How many officers to search the indoor scene
atleast 2
Zone search
- split room in half
- each officer searches one zone ( then switch) so each half searched twice
Grid search (outdoor scene)
each grid is approximately 6 square feet
When should you wait to perform searches
if possible, during the daylight. You only have one chance to search it properly.
How many should serve as the evidence collector
1 investigator
Maintain proper chain of custody is important because
improper labels can make evidence inadmissible in court
What are the task of the follow up investigator
- Contact the medical examiner
- conduct neighborhood canvass
- crime scene reports
What to do if a body has to be moved
Note by both photo and sketch the position the body was found originally
