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assignment 1 Unit 4 - Forensic Investigation Procedures in Practice
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Unit 4 Assignment AAimee Baish FSC year 1
Introduction
Forensic procedures are used in crime scenes by Crime Scene Investigators or Scenes of Crime
Officers (CSIs or SOCOs). There are many things that CSIs have to do at a crime scene, they have to
take photography and videography (pictures and videos), they have to collect exhibits (evidence
items), fill out an exhibit log, sketch the area, make contemporaneous notes, and fill out a risk
assessment. Photography and videography are important in a case file because it shows the judge,
jury and barristers etc what the crime scene looked like before any evidence was removed. The
evidence exhibits are needed to link the suspects and victim(s) to the scene, it can also help to prove
people’s alibis, for example like the victim’s friend being with the victim at the scene. The exhibit log
is important for continuity of evidence because the exhibit number on the exhibit log would match
the exhibit number on the evidence label, unless they were both filled out by different people which
is never the case. Sketching the area/scene can show what was at the scene, where it was placed
and its size, this would match up with the photography and videography of the scene, unless there
was tampering of documentation or photography/videography. Contemporaneous notes can help to
prove the witness’s descriptions of the scene, or the descriptions of the evidence. These
contemporaneous notes will help to prove that the photography/videography, the exhibit
log/evidence log, and sketch were all done by the same CSI/SOCO. The risk assessment is used to
describe the risks of the scene and how they were dealt with/prevented.
Restricting access to a crime scene
The first thing that happens to restrict a crime scene is that the first attending officers will put up a
cordon around the scene to prevent public access, contamination and movement of evidence. The
cordon will sometimes have officers (usually the first attending officers) which will guard the cordon,
patrol cars may also be used for this. After a cordon has been put in place, officers will separate the
witnesses from the scene and each other. Separating the witnesses from each other means that they
can’t confer between themselves to make up a story that they can all use to make them seem like
they have alibi. Then an access log will be mad, this has a list of people who can access a crime
scene. When the CSI arrives, they will tell the officer their name, and then the officer will mark down
which time they entered the crime scene, and then what time the CSI left the crime scene. These
access logs mean that no unauthorised personnel don’t enter the crime scene and contaminate the
evidence or move the evidence around. Common approach paths (CAPs) will also prevent the
disturbance of the crime scene. These are set up in many ways to make a path around the scene
without disturbing the evidence. These are most used in fire investigation cases to make sure that
the CSI can make their way around the crime scene without disturbing the evidence like the rubble,
ash or the path of the fire. Authorised personnel would include, the Crime Scene Manager which is
who manages the team of SOCOs/CSIs, the police officers and investigators who will collect
statements from the witnesses, the forensic pathologist, forensic archaeologist, or forensic
anthropologist would only be permitted on the scene if their expertise was needed to obtain certain
pieces of evidence, Paramedics will only be allowed on a scene if the victim is still on the scene and
badly injured, and the fire and rescue services would only be accepted onto the scene if they are
needed to extinguish a fire, and to search and rescue people which are trapped in fires or vehicles.
Observation and recording of evidence
When a CSI arrives at a crime scene, the first thing they do is put on their PPE. This includes a hazmat
suit, mask, gloves, goggles and shoe covers. Wearing this prevents the crime scene being
contaminated by fibres from their clothes or their hair falling onto a piece of evidence. The CSI then
signs the access logs before entering. After entering the crime scene, the first thing the CSI will do is
takes photographs of everything, this is so that when the case goes to court the judge can see what
, the crime scene looked like before anything was touched. Then after these pictures are taken, more
will be taken but of the evidence and then the evidence markers with the evidence. These evidence
markers show the court which evidence will be taken and which number on the evidence log the
evidence will have. Next, the CSI will collect evidence and fill out an evidence log. The CSI will start
filling out the evidence log by using their initials, a forward slash and the number one, then number
two and so on. For example, in my case, I’d label the evidence as AMB/1, AMB/2, and so on. This
number is called the exhibit number or the identification reference number. It is basically used to
make sure that the evidence matches up between the contemporaneous notes and the evidence
log. As they are filling out the evidence log, they will be collecting evidence. When collecting
evidence, you must be sure to put it in the right type of container. This prevents the evidence
degrading over time, for example a wet cloth would be put in a paper bag and then in a plastic bag,
this is to make sure that the liquid (whatever it may be) doesn’t go mouldy, or break the paper bag
and fall out.
How to package and label evidence
For Packaging and labelling evidence, they have certain rules and methods which should always be
followed to prevent contamination and maintain continuity. When packaging evidence, the type of
evidence needs to be considered. Is it sharp? Is it wet or dry? If the evidence is a wet cloth for
example it would be put in a paper bag and then a plastic bag so that if the liquid breaks down the
paper bag the evidence doesn’t get lost as it’s still contained in another bag, it also prevents any
DNA being degraded. There are many types of evidence containers. There are paper bags, plastic
bags, weapons tubes, rigid plastic containers and cardboard boxes. Paper bags are used for dry items
and items with dried blood or DNA on them. For example, shoes, rope, clothes or dry tea towels,
hairs (put in a small envelope or tissue first), items with blood on once they have dried, DNA and/or
blood swabs and drugs (in plastic packaging).They can also be used for books, drinks cans and
bottles or electronic and digital devices. Plastic bags are used for wet items or paper. For example,
rope, fibres (put in a small envelope first), drugs (not in a plastic package), fingerprints lifts (which
must be in an envelope), wet clothes, tea towels etc (must be in a paper bag before being put in a
plastic bag), digital items like phones, hard drives, tablets, laptops etc., and papers like bank
statements, notes, letters, receipts etc. Weapons tubes are used for sharp items like knives, needles,
chisels, etc. However, these weapons tubes (in their smaller sizes) can also be used for smaller things
like cigarette butts, DNA or blood swabs, and pieces of glass. The rigid plastic containers are used for
things that should be kept flat. For example, paint chips or shards of glass (must be in a paper
envelope). These can also be used for mobile phones, tablets and other electronics, books and drinks
bottles. Cardboard boxes are mainly used for things like drinks cans/bottles, firearms (guns),
cups/mugs, larger fingerprint lifts like a hand print or a fingerprint cast, bullets and bullet casings,
tools like hammers or screwdrivers, tape (has to be put in sticky side facing up), footprint casts,
cigarette butts (in a small paper envelope) and larger dry things like clothes, towels, bed sheets, etc.
When labelling evidence, there are things the CSI must do and things that other people like the
judge or lab technicians must do. When labelling the evidence bags, the CSI will fill out everything
except the court exhibit number, the R-V, and the laboratory reference number. The court exhibit
number will be filled out by the judge or someone of authority in a court trial. The R-V is the name of
the suspect that the evidence relates to. The R-V will be filled by the CSI when known. The
laboratory reference number will be filled out by the forensic scientist, which will fill this out when
the evidence has been analysed by them. The property number of evidence items is the number
given to the evidence by the property officer.
How to store and transport evidence without degradation
Making sure that evidence doesn’t degrade over time after being packaged is so important, it
prevents the evidence being destroyed by mould, DNA being broken down and it keeps the integrity
of the evidence. Maintaining these things is important because if the DNA gets ruined or mould
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