Crime Scenes

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Crime Scenes

• Basic Concepts

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What happens at the crime scene?

• First Responder Priorities
• Determine need for medical assistance
• Confirm or pronounce death
• Take steps to preserve and protect area
• Secure and isolate the crime scene using ropes or
  barricades
• Exclude all unauthorized personnel from scene
• Conduct a scene walk through
• Determine the lead investigator

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Evaluation of the Area

• Determine the boundaries of the scene
• Establish the perpetrators entrance and exit
• Initial walk though of the scene to determine the
  strategy for documentation of the entire crime
  scene.

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SKETCHING THE SCENE

• Rough Sketches
• Shows all items of physical evidence w/ number
  assigned to each.
• Objects are located by distance measurements from
  two fixed points.
• Distances marked must be accurate. All distances
  are made with a tape measure.
• Each item is assigned a letter or number.
• The sketch shows a compass heading designating
  north.

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Back at the lab (after initial search)

• Finished Sketches
• Usually prepared with the aide of templates
• Usually drawn to scale
• Must contain all information contained in the
  rough sketch
• Well constructed sketches are admissible as
  evidence in a trial

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Photographing the scene

• Overall Photos
• unaltered condition
• entire scene and surrounding areas, including
  walls and points of entry and exit
• purpose is to include as much as possible in one
  photograph
• goal - each important item is in at least one
  photo

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Photographing the scene

• Mid Range Photographs
• purpose - focus attention on - specific object
• Use scales so photos can be admitted in court
• Wounds and bruises should be photographed with
  and without scales.

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Photographing the scene

• Close up Photographs
• Purpose is show a specific aspect of an object up
  close
• Show pattern of injuries
• Show weapons lying near the body
• After the body is removed, close up photos of the
  area underneath

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Notes from the scene

• Date/Time of arrival on scene
• Name of investigators
• Address/Description
• Weather conditions (if outside)
• Log of ALL activities including search, sketch,
  photography, evidence collection, etc.

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Search Patterns

• Zone Search A small area or room is searched.
  It's used in homicides, rape, drug and bomb
  searches.

• 2
• 3 4

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Search Patterns

• Ever Widening Circle Used when only 1 person is
  available to search
• Also known as spiral

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Search Patterns

• Straight Line Search Used outdoors. Many people
  stand shoulder to shoulder and walk across the
  area in a straight line.

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Search Patterns

• Strip Search Used when only a few people are
  available to cover a large outdoor area.

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Search Patterns

• Grid Search Covers a large area. Divide area
  into a grid and search each grid. Repeat
  perpendicular to first grid.

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Types of crime scenes

• Primary - where crime was committed
• Secondary - where additional physical evidence
  has been found
• Also they can be classified by
• Type of crime (ie. Robbery, assault)
• Condition (ie. Organized, disorganized)
• Location (ie. Indoors)

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The end of notes for today