Ch 3

Question 1

The successful management of a crime scene involves three major functions.

Answer 1

1. the responding officers whose responsibility is to render the crime scene safe and to control movement of persons and officers into and out of the area.
2. crime scene investigators who conduct the search for evidence and also prepare the proper documentation of the crime scene.
3. search for witnesses.

Question 2

Approach

Answer 2

responding officers should be alert to any suspects or witnesses who are leaving the scene.

Question 3

Safety

Answer 3

Neutralization of the crime scene includes the arrest of any suspects and the elimination of any hazards that might present a threat, such as a clandestine drug laboratory.

Question 4

Medical attention

Answer 4

ensure that medical attention is provided if required with as little impact on the crime scene as possible. limiting the number of persons who enter the area and respect the need to minimize the possible destruction of evidence.

Question 5

Search for Witnesses

Answer 5

separate them as soon as possible.

When witnesses discuss the crime or overhear others talking about the crime, they tend to adopt some of this information as their own or alter their recollections to fit with those of other witnesses. This process is normal and is known as retroactive interference.

refusal to give information or their statement of ignorance should be properly recorded in the police report.

Question 6

Broadcast Alarm

Answer 6

obtain a suspect and vehicle description. Once this information is obtained, the investigator should broadcast this information

Question 7

Scene Boundaries

Answer 7

“Crime Scene” barrier tape aids in delineating the crime scene area. Officers posted at the perimeter will also prevent the entry of unauthorized persons. Crime scene boundaries should be established beyond the initial scope of the crime scene with the understanding that the boundaries can be reduced in size if necessary but cannot be easily expanded.

chronological log of events as they occur at the scene. This is typically a time-based log that documents when an officer enters and leaves the scene. Scribe

Question 8

Search Procedures

Answer 8

investigator surveys the scene, noting its dimensions and the presence or absence of an adjoining entry (approach) and exit (flight) area.

1. A point-to-point movement, following a chain of objects that are obviously evidence
2. An ever-widening circle technique, in which the searching officer starts at the focal point of the scene or the center of the security area and works outward by circling in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction until the fringes of the protected area are reached
3. An ever-narrowing circle, the reverse of an ever-widening circle, in which the searching officer starts at the outskirts of the crime scene and works toward its focal point
4. A zone or sector search in which the scene is subdivided into segments and each sector is searched as an individual unit

grid search begins after the strip search is completed. It covers the same area in a similar manner but at right angles to the previous search pattern. Metal or wood stakes and heavy cord are used to direct and control outdoor searches.

Question 9

Disinterested witness

Answer 9

delay such a search until it can be made in the presence of a disinterested witness and also require the investigator to record the name of such a witness in his or her field notes. A complete list of all property found on the deceased victim, as well as where it was found (e.g., right-side pocket of trousers, hidden in bra), are made part of the officer’s notes.

Question 10

modus operandi

Answer 10

method of operation of the offender.

In assaults and homicides, the injuries sustained by the victim suggest a weapon and orient the search toward it.

In burglaries, the means used to gain access to the premises and the place of entrance indicates the possible location of tool marks. Tabletops, glassware, and other smooth surfaces guide the search for imprints.

Soft earth, mud, and dust are known sites for foot and tire impressions.

Question 11

Locard’s exchange principle

Answer 11

suspects will bring items of evidence into the crime scene and will take items with them when they leave. This exchange of trace evidence involves such items of evidence as hairs, fibers, dirt, dust, blood, body fluids, skin cells, and other microscopic materials.

Question 12

Collecting evidence

Answer 12

Investigators should not rush to pick up evidence since its significance may be destroyed in doing so. The investigator’s field notes should record the discovery. In addition, photographs and accurate measurements are necessary to show the original position and nature of all evidence. In searching for evidence at crime scenes, never alter the position of, pick up, or touch any object before it has been described in minute detail in an official note and photographed.

Question 13

Evidence groups

Answer 13

(1) weapons,

(2) blood and body fluids,

(3) imprints or impressions (traces of a person or a vehicle),

(4) marks of tools used to gain access to locked premises or containers,

(5) dust and dirt traces,

(6) questioned documents, and

(7) miscellaneous trace or transfer evidence, including such items as hairs, fibers, and skin cells.

Question 14

Counterfeit money evidence

Answer 14

should have a dual marking. The name of the person last in possession should be signed across a corner of the bill, or such person should be asked to scratch his or her initials on a coin. In addition, the investigator should place his or her own mark of identification on the money.

Question 15

Chain of Custody

Answer 15

evidence should not be disturbed until its location and nature can be brought to the attention of the responsible investigator, nor should it be moved until its location and description have been noted, photographs have been taken at the scene, and measurements have been made to place it.

Question 16

Packaging Physical evidence

Answer 16

Documentary evidence is first placed in transparent envelopes without folding or bending; then between two pieces of firm, corrugated cardboard; and then in a manila envelope or other wrapper.

Plastic pill bottles or film containers with pressure lids are unbreakable; can be easily sealed with tape; and are excellent containers for hairs, fibers, and other small articles. They are also ideal for spent bullets, empty cartridge cases, and cartridges because they can be packed with cotton gauze to minimize movement of such evidence.

Use plastic containers with caution. To an unusual degree, they can act as greenhouses for the cultivation of mold that can destroy the integrity and identity of some types of evidence.

Use only the tubes or vials with stoppers found in blood collection kits for blood samples and swatches used to collect bloodstains, and follow directions on these kits for refrigeration and other care.

If a blood stain is on clothing, wrap the garments separately in paper.

Charred wood, carpet, and drapery material from the scene of a suspicious fire may be wrapped in metal foil and sealed in an airtight container. Smaller objects, such as paper and rags, or solid samples should be sealed in the container in which they were found or placed in airtight bottles or cans. This prevents the fire accelerant and its residues from evaporating.

Caustic poison should not be transported until the investigator has made certain that the container in which it was found (or placed after its recovery from sink, bathtub, or other place) is safe for a period of time equal to at least twice the likely transport time.

Microscopic traces, hairs, and fibers should be sealed in folded paper or placed in a clean, sealed envelope or box of appropriate size.

Question 17

Known standard or control

Answer 17

may be collected at the crime scene, from the victim, from a suspect, or from other sources and must be collected in exactly the same manner as any other evidence because they have equal evidential value.

Locating a known standard of fingerprints may require no more than a search of records for a suspect’s fingerprints. Shoe prints may require the collection of a known standard of soil from the area close to a footprint or heel print for comparison with soil traces on the shoes of a suspect. Collection of a sample of hair is often required, as is the search for and the recovery of a coat or sweater or other garment that may be a known standard for fibers recovered at the crime scene.

Fifth Amendment does not protect a person or suspect from being compelled to be the source of “real or physical evidence.” The recovery of blood, clothing, and hair without consent is not prohibited by the Fifth Amendment

criminalistics laboratories maintain many reference files of known standards.

Question 18

exemplars, or samples,

Answer 18

exemplars may be available at the crime scene, at the place of employment, or in the public record.

As with handwriting exemplars, compelling the accused to utter words spoken by an alleged thief is not within the scope of the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. However, voice identification is subject to the Sixth Amendment’s right to representation by an attorney

Question 19

Transporting evidence

Answer 19

When food or physiological fluids or substances are collected, temperature control is a primary precaution.

When physical evidence is sent to a laboratory for scientific examination, it must be accompanied by an informative report. The report must, in effect, bring the crime scene into the laboratory.

1. Name and address of the agency submitting the evidence
2. Crime classification of case by type and grade of offense
3. Case number of agency submitting evidence
4. Copy of the offense report, the report of the preliminary investigation, or a brief history of the case
5. List of evidence consecutively numbered by item with a brief description of each item and a notation as to (a) when and where found, (b) whether the item is a known standard for comparison, and (c) whether any change has taken place in the evidence either through accidental mishandling or because a sample is being submitted, rather than the full amount of evidence collected
6. List of suggested scientific examinations
7. Brief statement of the problems in the case
8. The name and address of the investigator to whom the exhibits should be returned upon completion of the examination

Question 20

Marked caution

Answer 20

Packages containing blood or other body fluids suspected of being contaminated by a person with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or tuberculosis should be marked “caution,”

Question 21

At no time should an investigator return any part of the evidence to its rightful claimant without the authority of?

Answer 21

authority of the prosecutor.

Question 22

basic record of the search and the evidence discovered.

Answer 22

Field notes

Question 23

Evidence offered in evidence as exhibits that are more realistic than words

Answer 23

Crime scene sketches and photographs

Question 24

Field notes include…

Answer 24

time the search started, the names of assisting personnel, the weather and light conditions, a description of the area searched as the investigator proceeds, a note of any special equipment used, and an accurate note of the discovery of every significant item of evidence: when and where it was found, who found it, and its appearance.

And damage and disturbance of objects

Question 25

Preliminary investigative Report

Answer 25

1. Victim’s name, sex, age, occupation, residence and business addresses, and telephone numbers
2. Where the event took place
3. The time of occurrence
4. Who reported the event, if other than the victim, and personal data about this person
5. Date and time reported, and sometimes how reported—in person, by mail, or by telephone
6. Time that the reporting officer arrived at the crime scene
7. Witnesses—full information along with personal data
8. Arrestee, if any, and available personal data
9. Suspects, named or described, with available personal data
10. Name of the reporting officer

Question 26

modus operandi at crime scene

Answer 26

• Type of crime
• Person attacked
• How attacked
• Means of attack, weapons or bindings used
• Trademark of perpetrator (peculiarities)
• Words spoken (or the written note used)
• Vehicle used
• Property stolen
• Name or physical description of suspect

Question 27

corpus delicti,

Answer 27

the essential elements of the crime

Question 28

All photographs of a crime scene

Answer 28

case number and subject of the picture, the crime classification, the date and time taken, the name of the photographer, the camera’s location, the direction in which the camera was aimed, and the distance (in feet) to the subject of the picture.

Question 29

A sketch is…

Answer 29

more than a written report and less than a photograph in depicting a crime scene.

Question 30

Advantage of sketch over photograph…

Answer 30

The advantage of a sketch is that unnecessary detail can be eliminated, whereas it cannot be eliminated from a photograph.

Question 31

Recommended scales

Answer 31

one-eighth of an inch equals 1 foot (1:96) for indoor scenes, to 1 inch equals 20 feet (1:240) for larger outdoor areas.

Question 32

Advantages of video tapping the scene

Answer 32

(1) it provides immediate results without the need for developing film

(2) tapes can be reused by recording over the images on the previously used tape

(3) visual movement allows the viewer to perceive the scene as it is shown, and

(4) sound may be used

Question 33

Witnesses info

Answer 33

adequate information about the identity of all persons found at a crime scene: their names, addresses, and telephone numbers; and their employers’ names and business addresses.

Question 34

Revisiting the Crime Scene

Answer 34

Motorists and pedestrians who do not live or work in the area but who travel the area at about the same time daily or weekly are often witnesses

When the initial inquiry at the scene does not produce witnesses, investigators revisit the scene for a week or two for an hour or more each day, spanning the time of the accident, then revisit on the same day of the week for three or four weeks.

1. Revisit the accident scene daily for no less than a week and weekly on the day of the week of the accident for no less than a month at the same time of day that the accident occurred.
2. Question motorists and pedestrians, with particular attention to schoolchildren and service personnel, such as operators of delivery vehicles.

Question 35

View area canvass and Neighborhood Canvas

Answer 35

Officers visit places of business, apartments, and residences near the scene. Customers and employees of markets, taverns, and service stations, and residents at home and their visitors, are all questioned.

additional personnel to an extensive neighborhood canvass in order to find a witness. The plan used in such a canvass may be based on the approach and flight route of the perpetrator, the travels of witnesses, or the path of a bullet in sniper cases.

This canvass expands to nearby areas and bus stops and public transit stations beyond the crime scene but within a convenient distance of it. Such a canvass involves the traditional task of ringing doorbells.

The attempt to locate witnesses in a canvass of a neighborhood includes the following steps:

1. Friends and immediate relatives of the victim living in the neighborhood are located and interviewed.
2. A house-to-house, apartment-to-apartment, door-to-door canvass is made of

a. residents and shopkeepers and their employees

b. delivery, utility, and other service personnel

c. bus and taxi drivers

The problem is that the people in the view area are transients.