Crime Scene Procedures for Police Officers and Investigators

Police officers and investigators that work for law enforcement agencies in the nation must learn about crime scene procedures in order to be successful in their goals of aiding, serving, and protecting the public. The actions that take place during an investigation that involves a crime scene have the potential to play a vital role when it comes to the resolution of the case. No witnesses should be overlooked and all forms of evidence that are physically based must be considered and not tainted in any manner. While it is important to understand that policies and procedures will vary from one jurisdiction to another, there are many basic crime scene procedures that should take place when a crime has been attempted or performed against some type of property, an individual, or another living creature.

The Initial Response to a Crime Scene

The initial response that a police officer or an investigator makes to a crime scene is the most important aspect of the entire investigation that will take place to determine the details of the crime that has been committed. The crime scene must be preserved as much as possible with little to no contamination. Disturbing physical evidence that may be present at a crime scene could mean the difference between a case being solved and not being solved. The law enforcement officers that arrive on the scene must make many observations. It is important to see who is at the scene, events that are transpiring at the scene, any physical items that could be evidence, and even the conditions surrounding the scene – such as weather conditions, how people are relating to each other, and other situations.

Ensuring Safety

The next step that law enforcement officers should indulge in is ensuring that all individuals that are in or around the crime scene are completely safe. In addition to this, it is important that the law enforcement response team guarantees that there is no immediate threat to the other emergency response personnel that may need to go in or around the scene of the crime that they are investigating. In the process of ensuring safety, it is important for police officers and investigators to determine if there is a need for emergency medical care. If the need is present, the professionals should administer that care until the appropriate individuals arrive – such as first responders, the fire department, or the paramedics.

Controlling the Movements of All Present

Once emergency care has been issued to those in need, the police officers and investigators must then control the movements of all of the individuals at the scene. The purpose and intent of this are to ensure that all responsible parties are held responsible for their actions and to conduct interviews and acquire statements from any and all people involved or those that witnessed the chain of events that occurred at the scene. Many officers focus on this aspect of the crime scene procedure in an effort to prevent vital evidence from being destroyed and/or removed. This is an important aspect of minimizing the loss and contamination of evidence and gathering additional pieces of information that will assist in solving the case. Contact Crime scene cleanup Round Rock TX for more help.

The Evidence

While gathering evidence, there are many procedures that police officers and investigators may indulge in. First, the crime scene will be controlled through the means of distinguished boundaries. Second, individuals wishing to go in and out of the scene will be limited. Physical evidence will be marked. Physical identifiers such as shoe prints and fingerprints will be lifted, organized, and stored for the duration of the investigation. The collection, preservation, and transport of evidence to the appropriate labs will be conducted and the concluding interviews with suspects, victims, and witnesses will be concluded. By indulging in these crime scene procedures, police officers, investigators, and other law enforcement personnel will be able to effectively resolve nearly one hundred percent of all cases.