Evidence collection

Evidence Collection

Ideally it should be in control of one
person responsible for packaging,
labeling, and documenting every piece of
physical evidence taken from the scene

Goals

-Does not lose any evidence due to improper packaging

-Does not cross contaminate any evidence items

-Maintain chain of custody and court admissibility

Class Characteristics

Can be describes in detail but not tied to a particular suspect.

Class Characteristics (Examples)

Fibers, Hairs, Clothing, Shell Casings

Individual Characteristics

Can be associated with a specific person and exclude others

Individual Characteristics (Example)

DNA, Fingerprints

4th Amendment (Search and Seizure)

When in doubt. get a search warrant