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Crime Scene Investigation Protocol
The State of the Art
© Larry Barksdale, 8-9-04
Tuesday, January 8, 13
Protocols A protocol is a defined way of going about
doing something. A protocol may be formally defined in a written
policy, or generally understood among practitioners as a method of action.
Protocols serve as checks and balances on the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of crime scene techniques and crime scene investigations.
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This Is My Method
A protocol tells a jury, judge, interested party and peers that you have a method. It speaks to the belief of others that you know what you are doing, and it projects the image that you apply professional standards in your work.
Take note of the protocols of health care professionals.
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Crime Scene Protocol – Hayden Baldwin
Interview - people at scene to ascertain “theory” of the case.
Examine – to substantiate theory, identify points of entry, identify potential evidence.
Photograph - pictorial record, overall and specific.
Sketch – spatial relationship of scene elements and inventory.
Process – for physical and testimonial evidence.
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Processing The Scene – Rynearson,
Secure – do as soon as practical to preserve evidence, and to restrict non-essential personnel (p. 24).
Search – for and recognize what is critical evidence, supporting evidence, what is not evidence, and protect evidence from alteration or loss (p. 24).
Record – using a wide variety of methods, not all scenes are recorded by the same methods (p. 24).
Reconstruction- of actions and motive at the scene with reliance upon the evidence as it resides within the scene, and as a contribution to the interviewing process (p.24).
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Scientific Crime Scene Investigation (Dr. Henry Lee, et.al.) Scene security. Documentation of the crime scene Collection and preservation of physical evidence. Scene survey. Scene definition or analysis. Development of link between physical evidence
and persons. Reconstruction of the scene.
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Crime Scene Protocol: A Composite of the Literature
Secure – establish a baseline.
Interview – officers, emergency medical, witnesses.
Examine – the scene and environment.
Photograph – overall, mid, close, with/without scale, with/without marker.
Sketch – the spatial relationships of the scene.
Process – the scene and scene components.
Reconstruct – the call for service.
Report – logs, evidence reports, investigative actions.
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Crime Scene Processing: Additional Thoughts
Orientation – number of scenes, security of evidence, environmental issues, accessibility.
Management – resources, allocation of resources, maintenance of resources, scene entry logs.
Identification – walkthrough, assessment, placing of placards.
Collection – gathering evidence and information in a systematic way.
Documentation – digital, video, mapping, sketching, recording.
Storage – packaging, transportation, long term storage, chain of custody.
Analysis – investigative, presumptive, laboratory.
Debriefing – brain storming, review logs, information exchange, prepare search warrant receipt, inventory evidence.
Interpretation/Reconstruction – apply investigative paradigms.
Re-visit – additional processing of the scene.
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Scientific Crime Scene Investigation
It is based upon the Scientific Method. It speaks to a systematic and methodical
approach to scene investigation. It recognizes and attempts to minimalize
Locard’s Exchange Principal. It relies heavily upon logical analysis. The basis is forensic analysis. The consilient approach takes precedence.
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Protocol and Events
The following photos are from a homicide crime scene.
How would you apply a crime scene protocol - what would you do first, second, next and so forth?
What, other than the photos, would be significant evidence?
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Secure – establish a baseline.Interview – officers, emergency medical, witnesses.Examine – the scene and environment. Photograph – overall, mid, close, with/without scale, with/without marker.
Sketch – the spatial relationships of the scene.Process – the scene and scene components.Reconstruct – the call for service.Report – logs, evidence reports, investigative actions.
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Summary
Protocols should be written and published in an SOP.
They should be general guidelines. Whatever is written may be used to hold
one’s feet to the fire. Make your protocol a part of each scene
investigation.
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References Baldwin, Hayden. Crime Scene Processing Protocol. Recovered 27
Sept. 2006 http://www.feinc.net/cs-proc.htm. Bevel, Tom and Ross M. Gardner. Bloodstain Pattern Analysis. 2nd
ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2002. Lee, Henry and Timothy Palmbach and Marilyn T. Miller. Henry
Lee’s Crime Scene Handbook. New York: Academic Press, 2001.
Osterburg, James and Richard H. Ward. Criminal Investigation: A Method For Investigating the Past. 4th ed. Cincinnati, Ohio: Anderson Publishing, 2004.
Rynearson, Joseph M. Evidence and Crime SceneReconstruction. 6th ed. Redding, CA: National Crime Investigation and Training, 2002.
Schum, David A. The Evidential Foundations ofProbabilistic Reasoning. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press,1994.
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Stay Cool
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