Crime Scene Investigation

The primary responsibilities of the initial responder to a crime include the following: (1) to preserve life; and (2) to control suspects and witnesses. Once these two objectives have been achieved, the initial responder should focus their attention on protecting the crime scene. The importance of preserving the scene and its adjacent areas in their original condition cannot be overemphasized. The alteration of a crime scene can cause investigators to draw erroneous conclusions. By expeditiously carrying out his responsibilities, the initial responder may determine the ultimate outcome of an entire investigation.

It is usually the uniformed peace officer who first arrives at the scene of a crime. Protecting the evidence typically involves the establishing a perimeter. In fact, for some crime scenes, two perimeters may be appropriate (Garrison, 1994, pp. 18-20). Only the investigator in charge--and those personnel that he gives permission to--should be allowed to cross these boundaries (Dienste

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te measurements. While photographs reproduce everything within the range and field of the camera lens, sketches include only certain essential items. There are three types of crime scene photographs and sketches. These include the following: (1) those that describe the locality; (2) those that reproduce the immediate grounds; and (3) those that cover the details of the scene. Locality reproduction produces a picture of the crime scene and its surroundings. These pictures should include such things as neighboring buildings, streets, and sidewalks. Second, reproductions of the grounds should describe the crime scene's immediate surroundings (e.g., the house, the garden, etc.). Finally, a details picture shows only the scene itself (e.g., the room in which the offense was committed). During photography and sketching, the search commander must formulate a plan of action. This involves designating the various crime scene areas and objects that need to be searched and inspected. The commander must also decide how many investigators to assign to the case. Once the search has begun, it is up to the searchers to decide what objects will be dusted for latent prints and what objects will be removed as evidence. Searches need
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Approximate Word count = 1785
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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