Crime Scene Basics
By Dick Warrington
When it comes to processing a scene, you need to focus on the basics. Knowing what evidence to look for and how to prevent contamination is essential.
Crime Scene Integrity
By Dick Warrington
Any experienced crime scene officer will tell you that the key to doing the job well is protecting the crime scene.
Back to Basics
By Dick Warrington
Being aware of the latest technology and the newest advances can certainly be important to performing your job well, but you don’t want to fall into the trap of thinking that you can’t do your job properly unless your department purchases every piece of high-end equipment.
Impression Evidence: The Right Materials for the Job
By Dick Warrington
Impression evidence from tire tracks, footprints, tool marks, extruder marks on different casings, etc. can be just as important in making your case as DNA or fingerprints.
Step Toward Better Track Evidence Photos
By Lesley Hammer
Proper photography techniques are essential to the documentation and analysis of impression evidence.
Case Study: Theft and Murder Unraveled by Forensic Investigation
By Mukesh Sharma, B. S. Khajja, D. R. Godara, Girish K. Mathur
A recent murder case in Rajasthan, India, involving a young married woman was unraveled by the crime scene team. The evidence and laboratory examination provided proof that the victim’s in-laws were trying to mislead the Investigating Officer by fabricating a story of burglary and murder.
Don't Take The Fall
By Vince McLeod, CIH
Almost daily we review accident or injury reports that remind us about the dangers of slips, trips, and falls and the heavy cost associated with the resulting injuries. A few recent statistics hammer home the reality of the concern:
Crime Scene 101: Locating and Documenting Evidence
By Dick Warrington
At the heart of every crime scene are two basic questions for the Crime Scene Officer: how do you find the evidence and how do you properly document it once you find it?
Touch DNA
By Dick Warrington
Recently scientists have developed a new technique for processing DNA called “touch DNA.” With this technique, scientists can test for DNA without a sample from blood or bodily fluids.
Crime Scene Bugs
By Dick Warrington
By studying the types of bugs present at the scene and their stage of development, forensic entomologists can estimate the time of death, and in many cases, determine if the body was moved or disturbed and whether the deceased person had ingested drugs.
Spend More Time at the Scene: Spend Less Time on the Stand
By Rodney Westbrook, Steven Ryan
Crime scene processing requires a methodical approach each and every time and deviating from this can have negative consequences.
What Happens Next?
By Dick Warrington
Understanding what happens after CSOs leave the scene can help you do your job better and also help those who need it most: the victims and the people left behind. Professionals in crime scene clean up can contribute to the work of law enforcement and crime scene officers.
Hazardous Materials Preparedness: Training For All-Hazards Response
By Shannon Arledge, CDP Public Affairs
First responders, especially law enforcement, need to recognize the need for enhanced training regarding first response to hazardous materials. ERHM is a five-day class providing responders with a combination of lectures and advanced hands-on practical exercises.
Triage A Computer
By John J. Barbara
Triaging a computer allows investigators to gather volatile data that would be lost by pulling the plug on a live system.
Evidence Collection Course Helps IPs Close Cases
By Spc. Maurice Galloway, 17th FiB PAO
Soldiers from the 203rd MP Bn., along with law enforcement professionals Donnie Weller and David Diaz, held a two-week evidence collection course in April at the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Basra, Iraq, designed to implement standardized evidence collection procedures for the IP.
Evidence Response Technicians
By Dick Warrington
For some major cases, crime scene officers need additional help processing the scene. Many departments are looking to evidence response technicians (ERTs) to solve the problem.
Tool Mark Impressions
By Steven L. Petersen, CCSI, Shawn L. Naccarato, DDS/CCSA
A slightly different technique for collecting tool mark impression evidence.
The Role of the Forensic Crime Scene Officer
By Dick Warrington
Today’s high-tech world greatly increases our ability to put the “bad guys” in jail. But technology only takes you so far. As crime scene officers, we have to expand the role we play in order to take full advantage of the technology out there.
Preparation and Crime Scene Processing
By Dick Warrington
Some of your most important prep work for a crime scene should occur before you ever leave your office. Remember to keep your crime scene vehicle fully stocked with the equipment and supplies that you’re likely to need no matter the type of crime scene.
Documenting Bloodstain Patterns Through Roadmapping
By Daniel R. Winterich
An accurate and methodical technique for documenting bloodstain patterns is invaluable in crime scene analysis.
What Can We Get From a Suspect?
By Dick Warrington
Every crime scene is different. Yet, our primary job as crime scene investigators is always the same: to tie a suspect to the scene. The way to accomplish this goal is to collect as much evidence as possible from the scene and the suspect.
Crime Scene Photography: Capturing the Scene
By Dick Warrington
In order to provide a complete record of each scene, you need field notes and diagrams, along with relevant still photographs that correlate with those notes and diagrams.
Marking Evidence at Crime Scenes: Developing a System
By Dick Warrington
One of the most basic—and most important—tasks a crime scene officer has is locating, collecting, packaging, and marking evidence found at a crime scene. In this article, I’ll address the marking of evidence collected.
To Search or Not to Search
By John J. Barbara
Pertaining to the seizure of digital devices, there is some misunderstanding concerning what “executing the warrant within ten days” actually means.
DNA Collection and Packaging
By Dick Warrington
In order to make the most of evidence, you need to know where to look for it, how to collect it, and how to package it. If you put in the effort to do the job right, you will be rewarded with an even stronger case.
