who is responsible for securing a crime scene?

Oh no! It is often not possible to record every statement made verbatim in notes, and, in most cases, it is not necessary. In this big picture, you are creating a perspective of the facts that you have been made aware of to begin an investigation. That tolerance for controlling contamination changes significantly once the crime scene is locked down and is under control. Now, we are going to consider the physical evidence that investigators should think about when evaluating what might constitute an item of physical evidence. The crime scene is often a nexus of those events and consequently, it requires a systematic approach to ensure that the evidence gathered will be acceptable in court. What two things should photographs include? It is this goal that makes crime scene management procedures essential to the investigative process. Start notes by creating a big picture perspective and then move from the general to the more specific observations. Accurately recording the initial statements made by such a person can produce evidence of guilt in the form of statements that are provably false or even incriminating. The crime scene perimeter defines the size of the crime scene, and it is up to the investigator to decide how big the crime scene needs to be. It is acceptable to use these key pieces of jotted information already recorded to enlarge your detailed notes at the end of the event in a more complete fashion. At the first level each physical exhibit has a face value represented by what it is and where it exists within the context of the crime scene. As other investigators and forensic specialists enter the crime scene to perform their duties, they will stay within the path of contamination and, when they leave the path to perform a specific duty of investigation or examination, they will record their departure from the path and will be prepared to demonstrate their departure from the pathway and explain any new contamination caused by them, such as dusting for fingerprints or taking exhibits. This practice of identifying and recording the known contamination is necessary, and even if contamination has taken place, identifying and explaining that contamination may salvage the analysis of exhibits that have been contaminated. With everyone now outside the crime scene and the perimeter locked down, the next step is to establish a designated pathway where authorized personnel can re-enter the crime scene to conduct their investigative duties. Most police investigators develop their personal skills and note taking strategies through on the job experience and in the “trial by fire” of cross examination in court. Alternately, if critical portions of the investigation are not properly recorded or are missing from the notebook, those portions of the evidence will be more closely scrutinized by the defence. How is the finished sketch usually drawn? Crime Scene Processing During the systematic search for evidence, a leading investigator will often assign individuals to particular areas of the crime scene whilst overlooking the search for and collection of evidence. However, beyond extreme circumstances, in operational investigations, the accepted parameters of a police notes and notebooks are: In court, the investigator’s notebook is their best reference document. Suspects will often be found at the scene of a crime posing as a witness or even as a victim. Prior to re-entering, this first investigator will take a photograph showing the proposed area where the path of contamination will extend, and then, dressed in the sterile crime scene apparel, the investigator will enter and mark the floor with tape to designate the pathway that others must follow. Memories fade and people under normal circumstances only retain day-to-day recollection of unremarkable events for a limited time. If reasonable grounds exist to believe that evidence of the crime will be damaged or destroyed by some threat of contamination, the investigator has the authority, under exigent circumstances, to re-enter that crime scene without a warrant to take the necessary steps to stop or prevent contamination and protect the evidence. These are tasks that must be performed by the investigator to identify, collect, preserve, and protect evidence to ensure that it will be accepted by the court. These processes present several challenges: Not every crime scene is a major event that requires an investigator to call out a team and undertake the crime scene and evidence management processes that have been described in this book. It is helpful for investigators to recognize that a crime scene is not just a location where exhibits are found, but the crime scene should be considered as a single big exhibit unto itself. It has spaces to write down the name of the assigned scene security officer, the date, the police department investigating the scene, the file number, and the crime scene location. If they are not followed rigorously, it can result in the exclusion of exhibits based on lost continuity. An example of a crime scene security log is shown in the following example. 2.2.1 Physical preservation . One of the big dilemmas in crime scene management is determining where the criminal event happened or where the event extended to. The human memory does have its limitations and flaws. Earlier in this book, we described physical evidence as the buried treasure for investigators and critical when it comes to verifying or discounting various versions of an event in court. There are spaces for the exhibit number, description, who the exhibit was seized by, the date/time, the location, when the exhibit was turned over to the exhibit custodian, and the date/time secured. Securing the crime scene is easy; in most cases, all you need to do is close the door. This search will include not only identifying and interviewing the persons who are immediately present, but also determining who else might have been present during the pre-crime and post-crime stages of the event. Many times the arrival of additional personnel can cause problems in protecting the scene. It is important to stress that each of the tasks below needs to be considered and addressed for every crime scene investigation, no matter how big or how small. The following strategies are recommended as a general guide to note taking: It is the personal responsibility of each investigator to document their personal perception and recollection of the event they are witnessing, as it unfolds. Who starts the process of evaluating the area? As an example, sometimes in cases of serious assaults or even murders, paramedics have been present at the scene treating injured persons. Today, technology makes it possible to digitally record the verbatim account being provided by a witness or a victim. This first process is very helpful in demonstrating the exact state of the crime scene prior to things being moved for forensic examination. Determining those possibilities is one of the first steps in establishing the level of existing contamination at the time of lock down. The perimeter is also defined by areas where the interaction between the suspect and a victim took place. All these people have been involved in activities at the crime scene up to this point in time, and those activities could have contaminated the crime scene in various ways. Court cases are often extended by adjournments, appeals, or suspects evading immediate capture. If it is a building, it will show the address of the location, entries, exits, windows, the position of rooms, the position of furniture, and the location of all exhibits relative to the crime. The number of law enforcement personnel needed to secure a crime scene will also vary according to incident and location, as well as manpower. Identifying the vehicles parked in proximity to the crimes scene or returning to the crime scene on subsequent days around the time of the crime can assist in identifying a witness whose normal course of activities may have previously put them in the area at the time of the crime. That number will be cross referenced to the exhibit log that will be completed by an assigned exhibit custodian as part of the crime scene management team. The assigned security officer is responsible for creating and maintaining the Crime Security Log, which can take various forms. Under this process, each participant in the command centre may adopt these notes as a reference document for court purposes. With this information, the investigator can establish a baseline or status of existing contamination in the crime scene. These three stages of crime can also mean there could be other locations outside the immediately crime scene area where criminal activities might have also taken place and evidence might be found. Discuss upcoming search with involved personnel before arrival at scene, if possible. 1. Once the scene has been locked down, crime scene management procedures must be put in place. For example: Witness Jane Doe (DOB: 8 May 64) 34345-8 St Anywhere BC Photo drivers licence ID. In some cases, where there are many exhibits, writing the description of each exhibit onto the diagram would make it unreadable, cluttered, and confusing. 2. Exhibits, such as blood, hair, fibre, fingerprints, and other objects requiring forensic analysis, may illustrate spatial relationships through evidence transfers. A good example would be the evidence of the dead body in a murder case. The paramedic enters at his own risk but usually only after the scene is declared secure. Once everyone has been removed from the crime scene, a physical barrier, usually police tape, is placed around the outside edges of the crime scene. This void in the training of note taking skills is likely due to the broad range of circumstances under which note taking needs to take place and because it is impossible to anticipate what facts will become important in every possible variation of circumstances. The practice of each participant waiting until the protracted event has been concluded to make their individual notes would be impractical and potentially inaccurate. The Exhibit Log also shows a time and date when the exhibit was placed into the main secure exhibit storage locker. Other types of physical evidence may establish timelines and circumstantial indications of motive, opportunity, or means. These items are recorded in a document called an “Exhibit Log” or an “Exhibit Ledger.” This Exhibit Log or Ledger shows an assigned number for each exhibit that is identified and seized. It is better to collect everything that could possibly be relevant or could become relevant. Investigators who conscientiously limit the number of visitors to a crime scene ultimately may save themselves a great deal of legwork. We can only control and record ongoing contamination with a goal to avoid damaging the forensic integrity of the crime scene and the exhibits. When considering theory development or making an investigative plan, each of these stages of the criminal event should be considered. At any crime scene, the two greatest challenges to the physical evidence are contamination and loss of continuity. This can extend the time between the investigation and the trial by several years. Securing the crime scene is a major responsibility of the who? A crime scene is not necessarily where the actual crime was committed, for there are classifications (primary, secondary and tertiary) of crime scenes. Can any amount of technology salvage poor evidence collection? During the critical period between the lockdown of the crime scene and obtaining a warrant to search the crime scene, investigators need to consider the possibilities for ongoing contamination. This becomes more complicated in outdoor venues or large indoor public venues, where fencing and barricades may be needed along with tape markers to define the perimeters. In these cases, there is a need for the command centre participants to be completely engaged in handling the event, which may extend over periods of hours or days. Regardless of whether the first officer to arrive at a crime scene found out about the crime via a phone call to the station, a radio call from a dispatcher, or directly from a concerned person, the officer must make every effort to detain the person who initially reported the crime and not allow that individual access to the crime scene. What items are found and where may show spatial relationships of interaction demonstrating proof to support a sequence of events. The following document is an example of a common Exhibit Log Document. Colored crime scene tape is the most commonly used way to keep people out of the scene. It also has a table with several rows to record everyone who has attended the crime scene. Some exhibits are transient in nature and cannot be permanently seized and preserved for court. As important as the notebook is, note taking skills are often an underemphasized aspect of police training. These are the most important skills that an investigator can learn and incorporate into their investigative toolkit. The body itself would be impractical to bring to court. They arrest the perpetrator if he's still there and call for an ambulance if necessary. Crime scenes therefore are considered either primary or secondary. Only those people responsible for the immediate investigation of the crime, the securing of the crime scene, and the processing of the crime scene should be present. If foul play is suspected, there will be an intense analysis of what? A medical dissection and examination of the body. Pieces of physical evidence often referred to as exhibits, have investigative values at two different levels for investigators. This is not to say that investigators attending in tactical investigative response mode should totally ignore evidence, or should be careless with evidence if they can protect it; however, if evidence cannot be protected during the tactical investigative response mode, the court will accept this as a reality. Each of these forms of evidence present some similar concerns for investigators, and each requires some specific considerations to best search for, collect, and preserve the information that exists. This includes all areas where the suspect has had any interaction or activity within that scene, including points of entry and points of exit. During further investigation as well as the trial. First responder — the officer who responds first to the scene — has the responsibility to protect the public and the crime scene and control the changes made to the crime scene to the best of their ability. That picture will be composed of witness testimony, crime scene photographs, physical exhibits, and the analysis of those exhibits, along with the analysis of the crime scene itself. What are used in close-up photos if size is important? As soon as the event transitions to an inactive event with a strategic investigative response, the expectations of the court, regarding the protection of the crime scene and the evidence, will change. If an exhibit custodian were to stop and leave the exhibits unguarded in a vehicle or left the exhibit in the office while attending to another matter – that would break the chain of continuity. Crime scene contamination presents three challenges for investigators, namely: In regards to the phrase “control ongoing contamination,” the word “control” is used because investigators cannot eliminate ongoing contamination, they can only seek to control it. As mentioned earlier, one of the essence big picture perspective and then move from the crime scene is! 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