Chapter 5: Crime Scene Processing

Scene Security Supplies and Equipment

Physical barriers and rain protection devices used to maintain scene security.

Scene Documentation Supplies and Equipment

Supplies and equipment used for scene documentation, such as clipboards, measuring devices, and photographic equipment.

Contingency Plans

Plans formulated for the rapid replenishment of supplies and equipment in case of extraordinary resources required during scene examination.

Evidence Recovery Supplies and Equipment

Containers like test tubes, plastic and paper bags, and rubber gloves used for evidence recovery, including print and impression recovery materials.

Stock Replenishment

A method in place to replenish stock once depleted, necessary for examining a large number of items, such as 87 drinking glasses in a death case.

Field Uniforms

Clothing suitable for scene search work

Biohazards

Biological substances that pose a threat to human health

Toxic Materials

Chemical substances that are harmful to living organisms

Specialized Protective Clothing

Clothing designed to protect against biohazards or toxic materials

Operational Control

Measures taken to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an investigation

Identifying Uniform Clothing

Clothing worn by investigators to identify themselves and maintain operational control in large crime scenes or scenes with multiple agencies

Minimum Responding Investigators

The minimum number of investigators required to be mobilized in violent crimes, with sexual assault investigations requiring at least three responding investigators.

Separation of Suspect(s) and Victim(s)

The practice of keeping the suspect(s) and victim(s) separate from one another until all initial phases of the investigation have been completed, and never transporting them in the same vehicles or occupying the same treatment, waiting, or interview rooms.

Conjoint Team Approach

A contemporary approach involving both law enforcement investigators and forensic nurse examiners, specifically in sexual assault, homicide, child abuse, elder abuse, and domestic violence cases.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs)

Trained nurses who assist in identifying crucial biomedical evidence often unrecognized by investigators without a medical background, and increasingly preferred by investigative agencies to perform sexual assault examinations following standards set by the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN).

Safe and Lawful Transport

The practice of transporting investigators to the crime scene in a safe and lawful manner, with team organization decided in advance to avoid confusion at the scene of violent crimes.

Scene Parameters

This must be established to secure and investigate the crime scene. For example, the size of the scene to be secured may be greatly expanded if a witness saw an individual run from the house in a certain direction, leap a fence, and run through three adjoining vacant lots before getting into a car parked on the next block.

Forensic Nurses

They are important in the conjoint team approach with police because they have the ability to elicit sensitive information from victims and grieving families who may be in shock or intimidated by a uniformed officer.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that results in four daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, and leads to genetic variation.

Chromosome Segments

Parts of chromosomes that can be exchanged during crossing over between maternal and paternal chromatids, leading to genetic variation.

Mitotic Chromosomes

Chromosomes that are produced as a result of the coiling and condensation of chromatin fibers of interphase into the characteristic form of chromatids.

Environment Security

The measures taken to protect a crime scene from nonhuman environmental elements, such as weather, animals, and unnatural elements, to preserve evidence and ensure the safety of those examining the scene.

Weather Security

The protection of a crime scene from weather elements, such as covering and guarding fragile evidence like tire tracks and footprints until recovery efforts can begin.

Animal Security

The protection of a crime scene from animals, both wild and domestic, that may destroy, damage, or alter the scene and endanger investigators searching the scene.

Security in Emergencies

The coordination and cooperation between investigators and emergency response personnel to minimize evidence destruction in situations where rapid decisions must be made to protect life and property.

Suspects

Individuals who are potentially a danger to the scene or the individuals processing it.

Victims

Individuals who have been affected by the crime and require examination and continued investigation.

Officials

High-ranking individuals who may wish to visit the scene for a variety of purposes.

Investigators

Individuals responsible for searching a crime scene with utmost caution and avoiding bringing items into the scene for convenience.

Admission

The process of controlling access to the crime scene, including maintaining a detailed log of all persons entering and exiting the scene.

Treatment room

Areas within a clinical environment where death or serious injury may occur, requiring special attention to access, inventory, and records.

Medicolegal forensic skills

The specific skills and education required to minimize conflicts of interest between the institution and the investigation in cases involving the treatment room as a crime scene.

Scene Search Patterns

One of the first five patterns used to search the crime scene thoroughly.

Trace Evidence

Evidence such as hairs, fibers, and stains, found in very small quantities and requires enhanced lighting, alternative light sources, and magnification devices to be detected.

Purpose of Crime Scene Search

The main purpose of a crime scene search is to locate and document the location of evidence, rather than to recover it.

Fragile Evidence

Evidence that is delicate and requires immediate photographing, measuring, recovering, and preserving at the time of its discovery.

Intruders

People who are not authorized to enter the crime scene and should be dealt with and escorted in such a way that they are not permitted to contaminate the scene.

Evidence Marking

A mechanism used to mark the location of evidence so that it can be recovered later and serves as a warning to others working in the scene that this specific location contains evidence.

Battery-powered Artificial Lighting

Portable lighting used to reveal evidence in natural and artificial light, especially in areas with insufficient natural light, like at night or in places with inadequate lighting.

Ultraviolet Lighting

Portable lighting used in sexual assault cases to detect articles and stains that may fluoresce under ultraviolet light while remaining invisible in other light sources.

Adequate battery- or generator-powered portable lighting

Lighting that is powered by batteries or a generator and is portable, allowing investigators to search scenes during hours of darkness or indoors where electrical lighting is not available.

Written operating procedures

Written guidelines that specify the responsibility for maintaining portable lighting and batteries, as well as the appropriation of other specialized equipment and equipment operators.

Specialized equipment

Equipment that is specific to a certain task or job, such as portable lighting or other specialized equipment needed for investigations.

Memorandums of understanding

Formal agreements between organizations, such as fire departments and investigative agencies, for the provision of portable lighting and other special equipment when necessary.

Overall photographs

\___________ of the scene should be taken before beginning the search to preserve an image of the scene before the evidence search and recovery process disturbs it.

Line or strip search

Works best on large, outdoor scenes; requires a search coordinator; uses volunteers who require preliminary instructions

Grid method

Modified double line search as above; effective but time consuming

Spiral method

Inward or outward spirals; best used on crime scenes with no physical barriers (e.g., open water); requires the ability to trace a regular pattern with fixed diameters; limited application

Zone method

Best used on scenes with defined zones or areas; effective in houses or buildings; teams are assigned small zones for searching; combined with other methods; good for warrant searches

Link method

Based on linkage theory; most common and productive; one type of evidence leads to another; experimental, logical, and systematic; works with large and small, indoor and outdoor scenes.

Wheel or ray method

Used for specialsituations; limited applications; best used on small, circular crime scenes

Measurements

\_______________ must be taken from three fixed objects to three definable points on each piece of evidence to determine the exact location of the scene

impression

Photographs of the entire scene should show where evidence has been spotted to provide an \________ of the relationship of each piece of evidence to the other.

aerial photography

Outdoor scenes and especially large scenes with many items of evidence may benefit greatly from \__________.

preservation

The key focus in evidence recovery is to ensure \_______ of the evidence in order to maximize the capabilities of the forensic laboratory.

abrasions

Precautions must be taken to prevent \_______ on the surface of an item that may obliterate or obscure print evidence.

Trace evidence

\____________ should be recovered as intact as possible. In recovering stains, hairs, or fibers, for example, the material on which the item is found should be recovered along with the item, if practical.

Perishable biological evidence

\_______________ should be recovered quickly and air-dried without heat in a dust-free atmosphere.

Plastic packaging

This packaging should be avoided due to condensation, and commercial evidence packaging materials firms should be contacted for advice on new packaging advances.

scene departure

marks a formal exit from the scene by investigators, with the intent not to return.