Documenting the Scene: Note Taking, Photographing, and Sketching

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Chapter 2

• Documenting the Scene Note Taking,
  Photographing, and Sketching

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Field Notes

• Investigative notes are a permanent written
  record of the facts of a case to be used in
  further investigation, in writing reports, and in
  prosecuting the case.
• Detailed notes can make or break a conviction.

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Record Information

• Who?
• What?
• Where?
• When?
• How?

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How to Take Notes

• Dont include words such as a, and, and the.
• Write legibly.
• Use standard abbreviations such as mph, DWI, and
  Ave.

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Advantages of Photographs

• They can be taken immediately.
• They accurately represent the crime scene and
  evidence.
• They create interest and increase attention to
  testimony.

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Disadvantages of Photographs

• They are not selective.
• They do not show actual distances.
• They may be distorted and damaged by mechanical
  errors in shooting or processing.

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Commonly Used Photographic Equipment

• 35 mm camera
• Instant print camera
• Digital camera
• Press camera
• Fingerprint camera
• Video equipment

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Advantages of Digital Cameras

• Elimination of time and expense involved in
  developing photographic film.
• Quickly adaptable as e-mail attachments.
• Easily incorporated into written reports.
• Record information about each photograph.
• Consistency.

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What to Photograph

• Long-range pictures of the locality.
• Medium-range pictures of the immediate crime
  scene and location of objects of evidence within
  the area or room.
• Close-range pictures of specific evidence.

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Photogrammetry

• Refers to the making of 3-D measurements of the
  real world directly from photographs for use in
  courts.
• Can accurately locate and measure any object
  appearing in two or more photographs.
• Can automatically orient photographs taken from
  awkward angles.
• Can correct for camera misalignment.

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Types of Investigative Photography

• Surveillance Photography
• Aerial Photography
• Night Photography
• Laboratory Photography
• Mug Shots
• Lineup Photographs

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Types of Laboratory Photography

• Microphotography takes pictures through a
  microscope.
• Macrophotography enlarges a subject.
• Laser-beam photography reveals evidence
  indiscernible to the naked eye.
• Ultraviolet-light photography uses the low end
  of the color spectrum to make visible impressions
  of bruises and injuries long after their actual
  occurrence.

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Admissibility of Photographs in Court

• Photographs must be
• Material,
• Relevant,
• Competent,
• Accurate,
• Free of distortion, and
• Non-inflammatory.

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Crime Scene Sketches

• Accurately portray the physical facts.
• Relate to the sequence of events at the scene.
• Establish the precise location and relationship
  of objects at the scene.
• Help create a mental picture of the scene.
• Permanent record of the scene.
• Usually admissible in court.

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Steps in Sketching the Crime Scene

1. Observe and Plan
2. Measure and Outline the Area
3. Plot objects and evidence within the outline
4. Record details
5. Identify the sketch with a legend and scale
6. Reassess the sketch
7. File the sketch

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Plotting Methods

• Rectangular-Coordinate Method
• Baseline Method
• Triangulation Method
• Compass Point Method
• Cross-Projection Method

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Materials for Making Scale Drawings
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