Crime Scene Investigation Roles

1.0 Describe responsibilities of various personnel involved in crime scene

investigations. Examples: police, detectives, laboratory specialists, medical examiners. I,D,M 1.1 Explaining how to search, sketch, and record

data from a crime scene.

Who’s at the Scene? Police officers CSI unit District attorney Medical examiner Specialists Detectives

Police Officers Usually 1st on the scene Make the arrest, if possible Call ambulance if needed Secure the scene --- WHY?

CSI Unit Documents the crime scene in detail Collects physical evidence

Medical Examiner May or may not be present to determine

a preliminary cause of death

Specialists May be called in if evidence requires

expert analysis Entomologists Forensic scientists Forensic psychologists

Detectives Interview witnesses and consult with the

CSI unit Investigate the crime by following leads

provided by witnesses and physical evidence

CSI Unit’s Procedure

1. Make sure scene is secure.

2. Initial walk-through: 1. Get an overall feel for the crime scene

2. Find out if anything has been moved

3. Generate initial theories based on visual examination

4. TOUCH NOTHING!

CSI Unit’s Procedure (cont.)

3. Document the scene1. Photographs2. Draw sketches of the scene3. Video walk-through4. STILL TOUCH NOTHING!

4. Collect all potential evidence1. Tag it, log it, and package it so it remains

intact during transport to the lab2. May or may not do actual analysis in the lab

Crime Scene vs. Crime Lab Scene = Crime Scene Investigation Lab = Forensic Science Lab passes lab results to the lead

detective. NOT ALL CSI’s ARE FORENSICS

SCIENTISTS!