Arriving at the Crime Arriving at the Crime SceneScene

Uniformed police Uniformed police usually arrive 1st.usually arrive 1st.

1.1. They must ensure They must ensure safety of victims and safety of victims and surrounding people.surrounding people.

2. Usually not trained as 2. Usually not trained as dectectives and should dectectives and should touch as little as touch as little as possible.possible.

3. Secure site with a 3. Secure site with a physical barrier.physical barrier.

A dead bodyA dead body

If a person is dead, If a person is dead, the body will not be the body will not be moved in any way moved in any way until it has been until it has been examined and examined and photographed.photographed.

Movement can Movement can disturb rigor mortis.disturb rigor mortis.

Movement can Movement can contaminate vital contaminate vital clues and evidence.clues and evidence.

The Senior Detective The Senior Detective and Forensic and Forensic PathologistPathologist

Senior detective is in Senior detective is in charge of investigation.charge of investigation.

Pathologist will check Pathologist will check for vital signs (heart rate for vital signs (heart rate and breathing.and breathing.

Will check for rigor Will check for rigor mortis and lividity and mortis and lividity and anything that may anything that may explain cause of death.explain cause of death.

Initial inspection of body Initial inspection of body is quite brief with most is quite brief with most work done at the work done at the morgue.morgue.

Needs to take pictures Needs to take pictures before the body is before the body is movedmoved

Focus on wounds, Focus on wounds, position of body, murder position of body, murder weapon, trace evidence, weapon, trace evidence, murder scene etcmurder scene etc

A ruler marked with a A ruler marked with a suitable scale is usually suitable scale is usually included in the photos to included in the photos to give a size comparison.give a size comparison.

PhotographerPhotographer

Police draughtpersonPolice draughtperson

May be asked to May be asked to sketch area.sketch area.

Focus will be on Focus will be on positions of positions of doors, windows doors, windows etc, positions of etc, positions of bloodstains, bloodstains, weapons and weapons and other evidence.other evidence.

WitnessesWitnesses

Will be kept calm as Will be kept calm as much as possible and much as possible and usually isolated and usually isolated and interviewed as soon as interviewed as soon as possible while things are possible while things are fresh in their mind.fresh in their mind.

Discouraged from Discouraged from cleaning themselves up cleaning themselves up in case they have trace in case they have trace evidence.evidence.

CSICSI In overalls and overshoes try In overalls and overshoes try

to approach crime scene to approach crime scene using same route as first using same route as first police officer.police officer.

Thoroughly search Thoroughly search immediate and surrounding immediate and surrounding areas for any trace evidence areas for any trace evidence – eg fingerprints, body fluids, – eg fingerprints, body fluids, fibres, hair, skin, paint etcfibres, hair, skin, paint etc

May call in experts to assess May call in experts to assess blood splatter, gun powder blood splatter, gun powder burnsburns

Only after completed is the Only after completed is the body removed.body removed.

Collection and Preservation of Collection and Preservation of EvidenceEvidence

Physical EvidencePhysical Evidence Collection and Collection and PreservationPreservation

Bloodstained clothing Individual items placed in paper bags which are sealed with staples

Firearms, knives, tools Wrapped in paper

Developed latent prints Photographed in situ before being ‘lifted’

Trace evidence (hairs, fibres, dust, glass fragments etc.)

Placed in pill boxes or snap-lock plastic bags

Bullets and cartridge cases Placed in envelopes

Liquid blood and other body fluids such as saliva

Swabbed with cotton bud and placed in a sealed vial

Tyre and shoe impressions Photograph and, if possible, cast taken