Crime Scene Investigation Essay

A thorough documentation of a crime scene is an important part of any investigation. Several different methods of documentation are use; however, it is the combination of the methods that best aids investigators during the investigations into prosecution and trial. One of the first steps in documenting the scene would begin with the investigators notes. The notes will contain multiple pieces of information that may prove to be useful during the span of the case. The investigator should make notes of everything not only what is observed with his/ her eyes, but also what the other senses pick up as well including sounds and smells. Each page of the investigators notes should be written on loose leaf paper with an ink pen and cataloged in a way
so that the information could be recalled if it is needed to rejuvenate memories during the trial phase. The notes should be written without using short-hand or uncommon abbreviations, military time is used to avoid mixing up details such as A.M. or P.M. and if any errors would occur they should be crossed out instead of erased (Buckles, 2007.)
Reports depicting all the information gathered should follow in the list of documenting the crime scene investigation. Different crimes would have different reports nevertheless all should be gathered; they could be: reports from the initial responders, investigator's logs and reports, liaison agency reports, dead body reports, reports to document interviews or interrogations conducted at the scene, reports of property stolen, special actions taken, investigative follow-up reports, reports to request testing or special handling of evidence, and reports that detail the results of evidence testing (Buckles, 2007.)
Reports are more official than the investigators recordings therefore must be written in a concise, complete, clear, objective, and accurate manner (Buckles, 2007.) The reports should cover the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the investigation; the reports should be revised if needed before submission.
All details that could be needed for recollections of the events should be retrievable in the documents.
Photographs, videotaping, and sketching each are important to the documentation process, as well as establishing corpus delicti. Photographing the crime scene(s) should begin before any objects are touched or moved, based on Gross’s theory that once something is moved it can never be returned to the exact location it originated (Buckles, 2007.) These steps are all important for reference of the scene (e.g. blood splatter, weapon location, and position of evidence to everything else.) The collection of the media is an indispensable tool for the investigators. Especially, a reference to the scene is needed later, or if the materials are needed during the trial for visual reference. Media documentation is a keen step in referencing the way the evidence is
collected.
Preservation of the evidences’ integrity is just as important as the documentation of the of the crime scene. The chain of custody is imperative to the safe guarding of the evidence, as well as who handles the evidence, and the locations of evidential storage. It shows the authentication of each piece of evidence so that preservation, documentation, and legality is not a question. The chain of custody helps ensure that altercations, substitution, and contamination are not an opportunity before the testing by the laboratory (Buckles, 2007.)
When gathering the evidence from the crime scene(s) investigators follow one of the five confirmed search patterns. Each search pattern is effective the specific pattern is chosen based on the size and the location of the crime scene. The basic search is known as the lane or the strip search; during this model investigators, would travel back and forth making turns no wider than shoulder width. The search can be completed by one person or many people at a time. This is often done on hands and knees so that small pieces of evidence are not overlooked (Buckles, 2007.) When needing to search an area more thoroughly from an array of angles the grid search is the best choice. The grid search is a in depth version of the lane search traveling back and forth, but then side to side. It allows investigators to examine the same area from many different angles (Buckles, 2007.)
The spiral search is a pattern that is best chosen for indoor locations. Investigators move in a clockwise circle stating in the outside of the room searching the room while slowly moving towards the initial area of impact. This specific technique can be used by starting at the area of impact as well and sweeping outward, but caution must be applied not to disturb the initial impact location (Buckles, 2007.) A circle search pattern is used in outside ground searches. In this search, a stake is place in the ground with a rope attached and knots tied every three foot. The investigator would search the ground in a spiral pattern moving down the rope after every complete rotation (Buckles, 2007.) Zone or sector patterns, are used in the examples of large complex crime scenes where the areas are split up into square zone areas and individually searched (Buckles, 2007.) Heather Romig from PoliceOne quoted, Sergeant Aaron Frost in saying, “The successful search will locate, identify and preserve all evidence present at a crime scene. Protecting the integrity of the scene and evidence through professional services is the utmost importance.”