What can happen if a crime scene is not treated carefully?
If the crime scene is not treated carefully, it can make vital information not only useless, but even deceptive, pointing an investigation in the wrong direction. There are special steps the investigator must follow in handling the crime scene, beginning with securing and isolating it.
Why is it important to secure a crime scene?
It important to secure the crime scene to ensure evidence is not tampered with and the area is preserved correctly for investigators, analysts, and forensics.
What happens to evidence that becomes contaminated or invalid in a case?
To submit evidence for analysis at a forensic laboratory, the evidence is taken to a “sign in” area of the facility, where all evidence is received. This is another area for potential contamination. Eventually, the evidence is removed from the vault and taken to a section of the laboratory for examination and analysis.
Why is it important to secure the crime scene What do you think would be the most difficult part of doing this?
What do you think would be the most difficult part of doing this? It is important to secure the crime scene because anyone that isn’t a trained professional can possibly contaminate or even destroy the evidence. Also, isolating the scene keeps unauthorized individuals from entering.
What is the most difficult type of evidence to collect?
The type of evidence that would be most difficult to collect would be trace evidence such as fibers, hair, or specs of dirt. Special vacuums and other specialized tools such as tweezers are needed to carry out the collection of trace evidence. Trace evidence is often small and hard to find/collect.
What types of evidence should be kept in airtight containers?
Charred debris recovered from the scene of a suspicious fir must be sealed in an airtight container to prevent the evaporation of volatile petroleum residues. Airtight containers can cause condensation of moisture within the container and result in bacteria that can destroy, alter or contaminate the blood.
Which type of evidence should never be packaged in plastic containers?
There’s a simple rule of thumb for deciding which type of evidence packaging—wet evidence goes in paper containers (wet evidence can degrade if placed inside plastic containers) and dry evidence goes in plastic. Items that could be cross-contaminated must be packaged separately.
When securing a crime scene the two most important factors are?
The officer who is the first to arrive at a crime scene must appreciate the importance of preventing or controlling any changes in the crime scene. The two critical factors most likely to change the crime scene are people and the weather. The first factor is the most amenable to officer control.