Crime Scene Clean Up
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.
High Definition Laser Scanning
The ability to capture every aspect of spatial data at the scene of a crime allows investigators to revisit the evidence therein as it was originally found.
Capturing System Volatile Information
Triaging a computer can be a methodology to avoid many of the issues inherent with “pulling the plug” on a live system. For instance, capturing the system volatile information can very quickly provide investigators valuable information.
Assembling a Fingerprint Kit
Let’s take a look at what you need for basic fingerprint kit. This kit should include different types of powders and brushes to identify prints on different surfaces.
Evidence Response Technicians Take Up the Slack
In most cases, one or two CSOs are not enough to cover the whole territory the department is responsible for. Many departments are looking to evidence response technicians to solve the problem.
Collecting Computers into Evidence
In the vast majority of computer related investigations, magistrates allow their seizure. There are certain steps that must be taken to ensure the integrity of potential digital evidence.
Obtaining Tool Mark Impressions
The following describes a modified technique for obtaining tool mark impressions utilizing polyvinylsiloxane impression material.
Get the Most from Your Crime Scene
These days, crime scene officers are capable of doing more forensic work right at the scene. The more you can do in the field, the more the scientists in the lab can do to verify your work.
Lifting Prints from Wet Surfaces
Fingerprints will remain intact on wet surfaces. You have two options for developing and lifting latent fingerprints from them.
Chain of Custody of a Body Begins with the Death Scene Documentation
When working on a death scene, keep track of how and when the coroner was notified of the death. When the body is ready to be moved, continue to jot in your checklist, everything that happens. These notes begin the documentation of the chain of custody of the body.
Respond with Caution
Officers who arrive at a crime scene must be cautious and methodical. They should strive to preserve the scene with minimal contamination and should not disturb physical evidence.
Essential Items for Crime Scene Personnel
Responding crime scene officer(s) must have the following items readily available. Officers should keep them in police vehicles or readily available toolkits.
Transportation and Storage of DNA Evidence
Direct sunlight and warmer conditions may degrade DNA, thus officers should avoid storing or transporting this evidence in places that may get hot, such as the trunk of the police car.
Crime Scene Integrity
Protection of the crime scene is essential to the protection of evidence. Safeguarding and preserving evidence is fundamental to the successful solution of a crime.
Identifying DNA Evidence
Since only a few cells can be sufficient to obtain useful DNA information to help your case, the list below identifies some common items of evidence that you may need to collect.
Casting Materials can be Used to Obtain Fingerprint Evidence
Hard to lift prints, such as those on rough surfaces, human skin, blood, and curved surfaces can be accomplished by using magnetic powder and casting silicone.
It's Important to Consider Whether to Leave a Cell Phone On or Off when Collecting it into Evidence
During the collection of cellular phones, there has been a debate on how to best preserve their data. This debate centers on whether to turn the phone off or leave it on at collection.
Gang Members Use Social Media
In their online chat sessions, gang members discuss activities that include the planning and execution of crimes, drug cultivation and distribution, and the buying and selling of weapons.
How to Collect Internet Evidence
The courts have generally accepted evidence collected from the Internet as long as its authenticity can be established. Commonly accepted digital forensic methodologies can all be used to identify a three-pronged approach to Internet forensics.
Use a Checklist to Document a Crime Scene
Using a checklist to document a crime scene is your reminder to look at everything; insurance that even if you get distracted, you will go back; and a record that you looked for each type of evidence even if none was present.
Fingerprint Brushes can Contaminate DNA Evidence
Fingerprint brushes can become easily contaminated. New brushes should be used for each crime scene, and the brush used in a homicide case should become part of the evidence.
Questioned Documents
Through visual examination or advanced chemical analysis of inks and paper, forensic investigators can determine information relating to a questioned document's authentication, authorship or creation date.
Processing a Fire or Arson Scene
The investigator should control access to a fire scene after fire suppression and see that evidence is collected, stored, and transported so that it will not be contaminated. Follow this walkthrough to properly process the scene.
Control Contamination
The investigators in charge of a crime scene should create an investigation team and process the scene carefully and methodically to protect the evidence. Follow these steps to control contamination and cross-contamination and to ensure scene safety and evidence integrity.
8 Common Misconceptions Plague Bone and Tool Mark Trauma Analysis
Saw mark research is focused on collecting data on variation found in microscopic features of cut bone. The narrowing of the field of possible tools that could have potentially been used in a crime makes saw mark characteristics a valuable tool for the forensic examiner. Unfortunately, a standard methodology for saw mark analysis is lacking, and the field is hindered by numerous misconceptions.
