Forensic Science: Proper Crime Scene Techniques. Essay, Research Paper
The word & # 8220 ; Forensic & # 8221 ; is derived from the Latin forensus, intending & # 8220 ; of the
forum. & # 8221 ; 1 In ancient Rome, the forum was where governmental arguments were
held, but it was besides where tests were held & # 8212 ; the tribunal house. From that, forensic
scientific discipline has come to intend the application of the natural and physical scientific discipline to
the declaration of affairs within a legal context2. Forensic Science can be viewed
as a three-party construction dwelling of 1. Collection: which pertains to the scientific discipline
probe, 2. Examination: which pertains to the medical probe and 3.
Presentation: which pertains to the tribunals. A forensic instance will affect all facets
of each of the three structured elements, each being every bit of import as the other. It is
obvious that there needs to be a collaborative attack for the successful
completion of each instance. Each measure in forensic scientific discipline must be done in an exact
order, therefor it can be assured that the probe can hold few uncertainties about
what is being debated. In this paper I will concentrate my attending on the first facet
of the three measure construction, Collections and Scientific Investigation. I will demo
what should be done at offenses scenes, how offense scenes should be handled and
what steps must be followed to guarantee that all grounds is pure as when the offense
was committed.
The intent of offense scene probe is to assist set up what
happened at the offense and to place the responsible individual ( s ) . This is done by
carefully documenting the status at a offense scene and acknowledging all relevant
physical grounds. The ability to acknowledge and decently cod physical grounds
is frequently times critical to both work outing and prosecuting violent offenses. It is no
hyperbole to state that in the bulk of instances, the jurisprudence enforcement officer who
protects and searches a offense scene plays a critical function in finding whether
physical grounds will be used in work outing or prosecuting violent offenses. In a
personal interview, Lt. Micheal Hritz of the Edison Township Police Department
explained, & # 8220 ; An research worker must non jump to an immediate decision as to what
happened based upon limited information, but must bring forth several different
theories of the offense, maintaining the 1s that are non eliminated by incoming
information at the scene. The offense scene is the lone nexus between the offense and
its victim, if any or all grounds is destroyed or lost, the offense may ne’er be
solved. It is imparative that the officer know what, how and where to look for
cardinal evidence. & # 8221 ;
Documenting and Analyzing a Crime Scene
Documenting a offense scene and its conditions can include instantly
entering transient inside informations such as lighting, furniture, fingerprints, and other
valuable information. Certain grounds if non collected instantly can easy be
lost, destroyed or tainted. The range of probes can besides widen to the fact
of statement in such instances as self-destruction or ego defence. It is besides of import to be
able to acknowledge what should be present at a offense scene, what to look for at a
offense scene and what might look out of topographic point. A offense scene frequently does non
pertain to the immediate country in which a victim or existent offense has occurred, but
the possibility of flight or entree paths should besides be checked. Anything which
can be used to link a victim to a suspect or a suspect to a victim or a offense
scene is relevent physical grounds. Richard Saferstein explains, & # 8220 ; Physical
grounds encompasses any and all objects that can set up that a offense has been
committed or can supply a nexus between a offense scene and its victim or a offense
and its culprit & # 8221 ; ( 31 ) . I will now explicate the proper techniques and ways a
offense scene and physical grounds should be handled and examined.
One of the first things an officer should make one time he approaches a offense
scene is to take control and procure the scene every bit rapidly as possible. This is to
prevent anyone from defiling grounds and to maintain unauthorised individual ( s ) out of
the country such as the imperativeness, the populace or anyone who doesn & # 8217 ; t belong. While this is
being done, an officer should besides be watchful for cast-off grounds and note if
there are any possible attack or flight paths. After an officer does this, he
should find the extent in which the scene has been protected and do certain
there is equal security in the country. All individuals come ining and go outing the offense
scene should be logged and kept down to a bare lower limit to guarantee the pureness of
the offense scene when the instance goes to tribunal. Each individual involved in the offense
scene should hold knowledge comparative to its original conditions to forestall from
inadvertent motion of objects, grounds or anything which might ache in the
probe of the offense. When all of this is done, the following measure which can happen
is the existent scrutiny of the offense scene.
The scrutiny of the offense scene will normally get down with a walk through
of the country along the test of the offense. The trail is that country which all apparent
actions associated with a offense took topographic point. It is besides sometimes marked by the
presence of physical grounds, this may include the point of entry, the location of
the offense, countries where a suspect may hold cleaned up and the point of issue. The
intent of the walk through is to observe the location of possible grounds and to
mentally sketch how the scene will be physically examined. The first topographic point
research workers should look is the land they walk on. This is to forestall any
grounds from being destroyed and if observed should be marked and warned to
others non to step in that country. As the walk through occurs, the research workers
should do certain their custodies are occupied and they don & # 8217 ; t touch anything. The
best manner to forestall from touching anything is to maintain your custodies in your
pockets. Once the walk through has been completed, the scene should be
documented with videotape, exposure and studies. Any or all objects can
supply a nexus between a offense and its victim/suspect, therefor it is imperative
that the offense scene be good photographed and recorded.
Recording a Crime Scene.
One of the first stairss in documenting and entering a offense is videotape.
Videotapes can supply a position on the offense scene layout which can non be
as easy perceived in exposure and studies. The status of the scene
should stay unchanged with the exclusion of markers placed by research workers to
demo little things which might non be seen such as slugs, blood discolorations or other
cardinal pieces of grounds. A key in videotaping is slow motion through out the
scene and should be done so from get downing to stop. It is besides wise to pan an country
twice in order to forestall unneeded rewinding of the tape when screening and to
do certain the taper has captured everything. Taping should get down with the
general lineation of the scene and environing country. Taping should go on
throughout the scene utilizing different angles, close-ups, and still shootings for a few
seconds. Once video taping has concluded it is so best to besides capture the offense
scene with still picture taking.
Regardless if a scene has been videotaped, still photographs are a must at
every offense scene. Although videotaping does enter everything, exposure
can show certain things such as direct comparing. Actual size
exposure can be used to compare fingerprint and shoe prints photographed at
the scene against the suspect. Again, when photographing, the outer portion of the
scene should be taking first to demo the environing countries, so towards the
offense scene itself. Wide angle exposures should be used of the offense scene and
environing countries. A good technique to utilize when hiting suites is to hit
from many possible angles such as from all four corners, from a room access or from
a window. When close-ups are required of cardinal pieces of grounds, a swayer should
be photographed with the points where comparative size is of import. While each
exposure is being taken, a individual should besides be taking notes on what the
individual is hiting, in order at a ulterior day of the month to understand what was seeking to be
accomplished. After still picture taking has be taken, the concluding measure in entering a
offense scene is to chalk out and pull the scene out by manus.
The concluding stage in recording is to chalk out the offense scene. While
exposures are planar and frequently can falsify distance and size,
studies provide the agencies of demoing distance or objects, and a over-head position
of the country and milieus. A study is normally made of the scene as if one is
looking straight down or consecutive in front. Measurements should be taken at offense
scene of distances between two objects, room measurings and cardinal pieces of
grounds. Two measurings should be taken at right angles to each other from
two mention points. Each measuring should be double measured to do
sure they are right and accurate. A concluding study can be made by a professional
utilizing all the measurings and notes taken by the research workers. However, the
original studies should non be thrown out but saved along with other key
grounds in instance a disagreement occurs or something was missed. Once the offense
scene has been recorded with videotaping, still picture taking and studies,
assemblage of grounds can happen.
Searching for and Gathering Evidence at Crime Scenes.
Gathering and turn uping physical grounds is a really slow a boring occupation when
done right, nevertheless, it can give many hints. One of the first things an
research worker must find is the size and country which must be
searched. The
adult male focal point searched must include all likely points of entry and issues used by
the felons. When seeking, certain forms may be used to cover and
analyze the country. There are about three different ways in which an country can be
examined. One manner is a coiling hunt method. This method is done by get downing in
the centre of the scene and work in a coiling outward until all of the scene has
been covered and checked. Another method and normally the preferable method is
the grid method. This is done by taging the offense scene into a grid and walking
in a consecutive line from one side of the grid towards the other where as you make a
180 degree bend and come back a few stairss over from where you merely searched.
This form overlaps itself and I feel is one of the best hunt methods. The concluding
method used is a quadrant or zone hunt. This is when the scene is divided into
certain quarter-circles, normally four and each zone is searched with either the spiral or
strip line hunt. Then after each zone is searched, the overall scene can be
searched utilizing the above forms.
When grounds is found it must be bundle and protected in a manner that
prevents any physical alteration from go oning from the clip it is taken to the it
reaches the offense research lab. Such things like breakage, taint,
vaporization and tainted samples can all be avoided with proper handling and
packaging. Original conditions must be maintained at all cost and when of all time
possible the full object should be submitted to the offense research lab. Good
judgement must be maintained and common sense normally plays a function. Each
different point must be placed in separate containers to forestall cross-
taint. It is besides wise to take & # 8220 ; comparative samples & # 8221 ; so that grounds can
be compared to normal or controlled pieces. Unbreakable bottles with palpebras are
good for such things as hair, glass, fibres and other grounds. However, when
anything contains blood grounds, it must be placed in a non-sealable container,
i.e. paper bags are the best. This is to forestall bacteriums from organizing and perchance
doing the grounds unserviceable. Besides good for grounds aggregation are manilla
envelopes, composition board boxes and paper bags. Besides blood, particular attending must
be made towards vesture. All vesture must be air dried and place person in
separate paper bags to guarantee changeless circulation to forestall cast or mold
from happening. The lone clip a sealable container must be used, is in the instances
when leery fires are being investigated and this is to forestall the loss of
crude oil residues.
Finally, with gathering grounds at offense scenes, an research worker must
do sure he non merely labels the grounds, but makes an accurate history on all
studies and diagrams. Evidence should non be handled overly after
recovery and should be kept down to as few people as possible. Research workers
must invariably look into paperwork, packaging notations, and other recording of
information for possible struggle or mistakes which may do confusion or
jobs at a ulterior clip in tribunal. Their are four basic regulations which I found out an
research worker should retrieve at a offense scene ; The best hunt options are
typically the most hard and clip consuming, but yield great consequences ; You
can non over document physical grounds or the offense scene ; There is merely one
opportunity to execute and look into the offense scene decently ; When seeking, a
cautious attack should be taken and so a vigorous hunt for hidden and
concealed countries should be done. After all this has been done and all the physical
grounds has been located and noted, a concluding study should take topographic point in instance
something has been missed and all notes, measurings and diagrams should be
checked for truths.
Once grounds is gathered it must be sent to a research lab for processing
and farther probe. When points are to be delivered the method normally
depends on how far off the research lab is from the offense scene. In most instances, a
province or local research lab is within a few hours and cargo can be made by
personal bringing. However, in some instances when points must be shipped to F.B.I.
central offices in Washington D.C. , personal bringing is normally out of the
inquiry. When an point needs to be shipped via mail, it should be packaged in a
manner non to damage it. However, Postal ordinances do forbid such things as
ammo or explosives from being send through the mail3. Each point when
shipped should be logged and sent with a checklist in order to do certain
everything shipped is accounted for. A elaborate study should besides be sent of the
offense, notes, and why the point ( s ) were sent and what should be looked for.
Along with the grounds, control specimens should besides be sent to the research lab
so that they can compare grounds to a normal piece of what is being looked for.
Legal Considerations at the Crime Scene.
One of the chief concerns with physical grounds ever debated by the
tribunals is weather or non the grounds was obtained lawfully. Often with a few
major tribunal instances, grounds has been thrown because it was obtained illicitly to
do sure of a strong belief. The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
provinces, & # 8220 ; The right of the people to be secure in their individuals, houses, documents, and
effects, against unreasonable hunts and ictuss, shall non be violated, and no
warrants shall publish, but upon likely cause, supported by curse or avowal,
and peculiarly depicting the topographic point to be searched, and the individuals or things to
be seized. & # 8221 ; With this, the Constitution means the constabulary do hold a right to prehend
points or grounds which might assist them in finding a suspect, nevertheless they
do non hold to the right to take the points illegality. The constabulary must hold likely
cause in order to take belongings and prehend points which belong to person else.
Unreasonable hunts and ictuss occur when the officers in charge do non
hold the authorization to be at a certain topographic point or do non hold the courts/owners
permission to look at, around, or about the individuals belongings or country.
One instance which clearly shows how illegal hunts and ictuss took topographic point
against a suspect is in the instance of Michigan v. Tyler4. In this instance, Loren Tyler
who leased a concern was charged with incendiarism after his concern was destroyed
by fire. During the probe, assorted points and physical grounds were
recovered from the edifice. However, on three other separate occasions, 4 yearss,
7 yearss, and 25 yearss after the fire, research workers came back to the scene and once more
took assorted points which they thought would assist them construct a instance against
Tyler. Each of these hunts were made with out a warrant or without consent of
the proprietor. During the test, the physical grounds seized in all four hunts was
used to convict Tyler of incendiarism. On entreaty, the U.S. Supreme tribunal upheld a
reversal of the strong belief stating that the forenoon hunt to be proper. However,
because the other hunts were made without consent, or with out likely
cause, the subsequent reentries to the scene were inadmissible and new test was
granted on these fortunes. The message as explained from the Supreme
Court is clear, & # 8220 ; When clip and fortunes permit, obtain a hunt warrant
before look intoing and recovering physical grounds at the offense scene & # 8221 ;
( Saferstein 50 ) .
In decision, as we can see through out this study, aggregation and
recording of a offense scene is really of import, with out proper regulations and particular
handling, a felon can travel free. The intent of offense scene probes is to
aid set up what happened, and to place the responsible individual ( s ) or
victim ( s ) . To calculate this out, careful recording and probes of a offense scene
must take topographic point. Recording the offense scene inside informations such things as topographic point, clip,
conditions, illuming, fingerprints, grounds etc. To enter a offense scene such
things as videotape, still picture taking and studies are used to give a & # 8220 ; narrative & # 8221 ; or
& # 8220 ; clip line & # 8221 ; of what happened and what took topographic point. Once the offense scene has
been recorded, existent scrutiny for physical grounds occurs. This is where
the research workers look for hints such as fingerprints, blood discolorations, points or
anything which might take them towards a suspect. When garnering grounds,
each point should be topographic point in separate containers and certain regulations for blood
stained apparels and fire probes apply. The research workers must maintain piece of land
and record everything in which they recover from a offense scene. Searching a
offense scene is a long and pains-taking procedure, nevertheless, it will give many hints
when done decently. Once the grounds is found, recorded and packaged, it must
be sent to a offense lab for farther processing. Each point when shipped should be
recorded, logged and accounted for from individual to individual so when used in a test,
the grounds has been accounted for from get downing to stop. The concluding thing
research workers must do certain is that all grounds was seized decently and with
likely cause. This is the chief ground why in so many tribunal instances grounds is
thrown out, improper hunts and ictuss. If any research worker is in uncertainty on
conditions or non a topographic point or individual can be search, it is ever best to obtain a
warrant for that such ground.
Mentions
Hale, Charles D. Police Patrol. Operations and Management. Chicago:
John Wiley & A ; Sons. 1991.
Saferstein, Richard. Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic
Science, Fifth Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Apprentice
Hall Inc 1995.
Notes