Now that you have educated the new investigator on the concepts of class and individual characteristics of evidence, it is time to begin collecting the evidence that you had marked during the initial walk-through. In this assignment, you address the actual collection and preservation tasks used during the investigation.
There are numerous examples of physical and trace evidence, and although general crime scene procedures will be the same, the type of evidence will determine the specific collection procedure. Below is a list of many types of evidence that may be found at a crime scene.
- Computers
- Documents
- Drugs
- Explosives
- Fibers
- Fingerprints
- Firearms
- Glass
- Impressions
- Paint
- Petroleum products
- Plastics
- Powder residues
- Serial numbers
- Soils and minerals
- Tool marks
- Vehicles and lights
- Woods and vegetative materials
Assignment Guidelines
Address the following in 7 - 9 pages:
- Select 5 - 7 of the above types of physical evidence, and explain processes involved with the identification, collection, and preservation of each type.
- Answer the following questions for each of your selections:
- How is it identified? Explain.
- What class characteristics might you find associated with the selected type of evidence?
- How difficult is the type of evidence to identify? Explain.
- What is the process for removing and collecting the evidence? Explain in detail.
- Your analysis must reference specific tests, histological staining, microscopes, and other equipment or techniques that should be used.
- What tools are necessary to collect the evidence? Describe.
- What challenges exist regarding the collection of the evidence? Explain.
- How is the evidence stored and preserved? Explain.
- How difficult is it to store and preserve the evidence? Explain.
- How might the evidence become contaminated and therefore inadmissible in court? Explain.