The first priority upon arriving at a crime scene is to do what?

Protecting the Crime Scene

past George Schiro
Forensic Scientist
Louisiana State Law Offense Laboratory

The most important aspect of evidence drove and preservation is protecting the crime scene. This is to keep the pertinent prove uncontaminated until it can be recorded and collected. The successful prosecution of a case can hinge on the state of the concrete bear witness at the time it is collected. The protection of the scene begins with the arrival of the first constabulary officeholder at the scene and ends when the scene is released from constabulary custody.

All police departments and sheriff'due south offices should include intensive training for its personnel on how to properly protect crime scenes. Potentially, whatsoever police officer tin can be put into the position of showtime responding officeholder to a crime scene. The first officer on the scene of a crime should approach the scene slowly and methodically. In some eases this is not birthday practical. The kickoff officeholder may besides exist involved in arresting an uncooperative suspect or performing life saving measures on an injured victim. In either ease the officer should make mental or written notes (equally is practical in each state of affairs) nigh the condition of the scene every bit it was upon the officeholder'southward arrival and after the scene has been stabilized. The officer should keep notes on the significant times involved in responding to the crime scene (fourth dimension dispatched to scene, fourth dimension left for scene, time arrived at scene, fourth dimension left scene, etc.). An effort must be made to disturb things as fiddling equally possible in assessing the situation. Particular attention should be paid to the floor since this is the most mutual repository for show and information technology poses the greatest potential for contamination. Notes should likewise be taken if the officer has to modify something in the investigation. Some things the officer should notation include: the condition of the doors, windows, and lighting (both natural and manmade); if there are any odors nowadays; if there are whatever signs of activity; how EMS or burn personnel have altered the scene; anything essential virtually the suspect (description, statements, physical condition, mental status, intoxication, etc.); and anything essential well-nigh the victim. Once the scene has been stabilized, the scene and any other areas which may yield valuable prove (driveways, surrounding yards, pathways, etc.) should be roped off to forestall unauthorized people from inbound the area and potentially contaminating it. Investigators and other necessary personnel should be contacted and dispatched to the scene, however, under no circumstances should the telephone at the scene be used. Once the officer has secured the scene, he or she could do the following: tape witness names and others who may have entered or been at the scene; separate witnesses and doubtable(southward); practice not discuss the events or the crime with witnesses or bystanders or let the witnesses discuss these events; listen attentively merely discreetly; and protect evidence which may be in danger of existence destroyed. Any deportment taken should be reported to the investigators.

Many times the arrival of additional personnel can crusade bug in protecting the scene. Only those people responsible for the immediate investigation of the offense, the securing of the law-breaking scene, and the processing of the criminal offence scene should be nowadays. Non-essential police officers, district attorney investigators, federal agents, politicians, etc. should never be allowed into a secured crime scene unless they can add something (other than contamination) to the criminal offense scene investigation. One way to dissuade unnecessary people from entering the criminal offence scene is to have only ane entrance/go out into the criminal offence scene. An officer tin be placed here with a notebook to accept the names of all of the people entering the crime scene. The officeholder tin can so inform them that past entering the crime scene they may pose a problem past adding potential contagion, and the reason that the officer is taking their names is in case the criminal offense scene investigators need to collect fingerprints, shoes, fibers, claret, saliva, pulled head pilus, and/or pulled pubic hair from all those entering the crime scene. This volition sometimes discourage non-essential personnel from entering the crime scene. The officer can likewise end unwanted visitors from entering the restricted areas. If inapplicable people do take to enter the scene, and then make certain that they are escorted by someone who is working the scene. This is to make sure that they will not inadvertently destroy any valuable evidence or leave any worthless bear witness.

Eating, drinking, or smoking should never be allowed at a criminal offense scene. Not only tin can this wreck a crime scene just information technology can also be a wellness take a chance. A command post should be set up for such purposes. The post is to be fix somewhere outside the restricted areas. It could be a vehicle, picnic table, hotel room, tent, etc. Information technology can be used as a gathering place for non-involved personnel, a place for investigators to take breaks, eat, beverage, or smoke, a communication heart, a place for press conferences, a central intelligence area, etc. The best thing virtually it is that it is away from the crime scene.

Protection of the law-breaking scene as well includes protection of the crime scene investigators. Ane person, whether a noncombatant or a police law-breaking scene investigator, should never exist left solitary while processing the scene. This is especially true if the doubtable has not been apprehended. In that location are many stories of suspects all the same hiding at or almost their surface area of misdeed. That is why at that place should ever be at to the lowest degree 2 people working the scene. At least one of these people should have a radio and a firearm.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Fisher, Barry A.J., Arne Svensson, and Otto Wendell. Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, New York: Elsevior, 1981

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• Go on to Office II--Examination and Documentation of the Law-breaking Scene

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