The crime scene technician must interview the first officer at the scene or the victim to ascertain the "theory" of the case. Basically what allegedly happened, what crime took place, and how was the crime committed. This information may not be factual information but it will give the crime scene technician a base from which to start. Examine the crime scene as the second step in the protocol. Examine the scene for what?
Careful, thorough investigation is key to ensuring+ the potential physical evidence is not tainted or destroyed or potential witnesses overlooked. I am sure many agencies have programs in crime scene processing, the level of training and resources available varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.” (Reno, 2000) Assembling a set of guidelines and conducting preliminary investigation for criminal cases are best described by the FBI. The initial responding officer(s) shall promptly, yet cautiously, approach and enter crime scenes, remaining observant of any persons, vehicles, events, potential evidence, and environmental conditions. A FBI report issued in 2005 details that general crimes are outlined into three graduated levels of investigative activity. These activities are the checking of initial leads, preliminary inquiries, and full investigations.
The photographs should saw the scene as you found it. 2. Major crime photography a. First discuss the crime scene, evidence and photographs needed with their investigators at the scene. b.
The Purity Knight case will be used as part of that section. Everyone knows the saying, “one picture is worth a thousand words” is true with crime scene photography. No matter how well an investigator can verbally describe a crime scene, photographs can tell the same story better and more easily. Police officers know this better than most people. One article stated that: Almost every day photography provides new evidence of its value as a powerful weapon in the war against crime.
The scenes integrity would be lost if any items were moved before any pictures were taken. If an item needs to be moved for the purpose of preservation a photograph of the item should be taken before and after the move. If video footage is available then the movement of the evidence should be recorded as well as verbally documented on camera. The photographs are a visual and permanent recreation of the scene just as it was witnessed by the first responding officer at the scene. There are three types of photographs taken at the scene of the crime.
“Utilizing polar coordinates is the fourth method of crime scene mapping used to document evidence location at a crime scene. Like those previously mentioned, this is a two-dimensional system that indicates the location of an object by providing the angle and distance from the fixed or known point. Obviously, in order to conduct measurements by this method a transit or compass is necessary to measure the angles and polar directions. This method is best utilized in large outdoor scenes with very few landmarks (e.g., a plane crash in forest or large field).” Each technique has a great amount of effectiveness some more than others, but either way they all help to determine the different dimensions of a crime scene. The process of each one is not like a draw the scene and bam you’re done.
There are also specific photographs that need to be taken at the crime scene to ensure a couple different things. One that the crime scene can be reconstructed and two that the crimes can be linked back to a suspect. Once this has been done it is important to know if the computer is on a linked network or not and whether you should shut down the computer. There are also certain circumstances that make forensic evidence inadmissible in court and this is important to know so that procedure is followed to ensure all evidence will stick to a suspect. When it comes to a crime scene investigator there are certain things they can and can not do in regards to a body at the crime scene.
Once a law enforcement agency has established that a crime has been committed, a suspect must be identified and apprehended for the case to proceed through the system. Sometimes, a suspect is apprehended at the scene; however, identification of a suspect sometimes requires an extensive investigation. Often, no one is identified or apprehended. In some instances, a suspect is arrested and later the police determine that no crime was committed and the suspect is released. (Bureau of Justice Statistics) If the justice system fails then any crime can be committed such as rape, burglary, murder, driving under the influence, etc.
You can also be searched without ‘reasonable grounds’ if it has been approved by a senior officer and this can happen if you’re suspected of being in a specific location or area and if you’re carrying a weapon or have used one. There are also requirements for a police officer before searching you. He/she must tell you their name and police station they are assigned to, what they are expecting to find on you and the reason why they want to search you, why they are allowed to search you and that you can have a record of the search. The police can search you in any place that is generally open to the public. This means they can search you anywhere other than your home and your garden, or the home or garden of someone who has given you permission to be there.
Forensics Photography Forensic photography is also called crime scene photography. Investigators and prosecutors need accurate images of various aspects of the location where a crime has occurred. This is where forensic photography comes to play. The photographer may be required to take pictures of corpses of murder victims, clues, murder weapons, etc. Forensic photography jobs are appealing to people who have good eye for detail and are very precise in the art of photography.