Crime Scene Processing and Analysis

First police officer or investigator to arrive on a scene

Limit and control access to crime scene; maintaining records of who was present

Fingerprints from everyone who enters the secure crime scene area

Preliminary walkthrough of scene; note taking of transient physical evidence

Determination of whether physical evidence is relevant to case or part of scene background

Detailed systematic search of crime scene with objective of noting every condition and every relevant item of physical evidence

Creation of detailed, complete records of a crime scene; notes, photos, sketches, audio and video

Initial theory based on observation of crime scene; can generate predicitons about physical evidence

Written or taped records for documenting a crime scene; initial conditions, contacts, etc.

Drawings of scenes with measurements or is to scale; special correctness between fixed points and evidence items

3D room drawn in 2D

Technically proper photography of crime scene for purposes of complete documenting; captures complete detail

Analog or digital device for storing images

Optical component of a camera; changes view of image

Amount of light entering lens of camera

Distance behind and in front of a subject

Use of video to document crime scene

Obligation imposed by courts on law enforcement agencies and their personnel to preserve audio and video recordings for a specified time

Seizing and packaging of physical evidence; documenting scene patterns that cannot be physically collected

Forceps, tape lifts, shaking, scraping and vacuuming

Required to ensure lab test will permit proper comparison

Hypothetical rendition of a set of events at crime scene