Crime Scene Management: Scene Specific Methods

List of Contributors.

PART I Crime Scene Principles.

1 The Crime Scene Context (Raul Sutton).

1.1 Introduction.

1.2 What is a crime?

1.3 The nature of the UK legal system.

1.4 The legal system in England and Wales.

1.5 Other courts.

1.6 The judicial system in Northern Ireland.

1.7 The Scottish legal system.

1.8 Judicial processes that deal with causes of death.

1.9 What constitutes evidence?

1.10 The chain of events in evidence gathering.

1.11 The relationships between evidence gatherers and analysts.

1.12 Health and safety considerations.

Suggested further reading

2 First Officer Attending (Keith Trueman).

2.1 Introduction.

2.2 Response to incidence report.

2.3 Personnel involved in the investigative process.

2.4 Recording and recovery of scientific evidence.

2.5 Initial considerations of first officer attending (FOA).

2.6 Dealing with the victim.

2.7 Dealing with witnesses.

2.8 Dealing with suspects.

2.9 Dealing with the crime scene(s).

2.10 Documentation.

2.11 Dealing with violent crime.

2.12 Summary and conclusion.

3 The Role of the Scenes of Crime Officer (Keith Trueman).

3.1 Introduction.

3.2 Training the SOCO.

3.3 The responsibilities of a SOCO

3.4 Forensic evidence.

3.5 Request for SOCO attendance at crime scenes.

3.6 Actions when attending the crime scene.

3.7 Initial scene assessment (including health and safety considerations).

3.8 Planning evidence recovery.

3.9 Record the evidence.

3.10 The elimination process.

3.11 Details of evidence recovered.

3.12 Integrity, continuity and contamination.

3.13 Packaging materials.

3.14 Conclusion.

4 Police Photography (Chris Crowe).

4.1 Introduction.

4.2 General guidelines.

4.3 Equipment.

4.4 Exposure.

4.5 Image quality/size.

4.6 Depth of field.

4.7 White balance.

4.8 Image data.

4.9 Flash photography.

4.10 Room interiors.

4.11 Vehicles.

4.12 Exhibits.

4.13 Assaults and woundings.

4.14 Night photography.

4.15 Footwear impressions.

4.16 Fingerprints.

4.17 Recording video evidence at crime scenes.

4.18 The use of digital images in court.

Suggested further reading.

PART II Evidence Gathering Techniques.

5 Fingerprints (David Charlton).

5.1 Introduction.

5.2 The nature of friction ridge skin.

5.3 The structure of friction ridge skin.

5.4 Friction ridge growth.

5.5 Principles of friction ridge identification.

5.6 Comparison methodology.

5.7 Chemical composition of latent prints.

5.8 Identification of common locations for prints.

5.9 The use of powdering techniques to enhance latent finger marks.

5.10 Chemical development techniques.

5.11 Laboratory and scene applications.

5.12 Fingerprints in bodily fluids.

5.13 Scenes of fire.

5.14 Optical methods to reveal fingerprints (laser and other light sources).

5.15 New and emerging techniques.

5.16 Summary.

Acknowledgments.

Selected further reading.

6 DNA-Rich Evidence (Terry Bartlett).

6.1 Introduction.

6.2 Historical background.

6.3 The structure and properties of DNA.

6.4 DNA analysis.

6.5 Types of DNA testing.

6.6 Biological evidence.

6.7 Procedures for collection of biological evidence: general considerations.

6.8 Limitations of DNA evidence.

6.9 Elimination and reference samples.

Summary.

References.

7 Blood Pattern Analysis (Terry Bartlett and Raul Sutton).

7.1 `Introduction.

7.2 History of the development of blood spatter as a scientific discipline.

7.3 Composition of blood.

7.4 Physical properties of blood.

7.5 Causes of bleeding.

7.6 Blood dynamics.

7.7 Drop-surface impact and droplet pattern.

7.8 Determination of area of origin of spatter.

7.9 Cast-off patterns.

7.10 Arterial damage patterns.

7.11 Non-spatter patterns.

7.12 Physiologically altered blood stains (PABS).

7.13 Volume blood stains.

7.14 Composite patterns.

7.15 Investigative transfer and contamination issues.

7.16 Recording traces.

7.17 Summary.

Suggested further reading.

8 Physical Evidence (Craig Williams).

8.1 Introduction.

8.2 Tool marks.

8.3 Clothing.

8.4 Fibres.

8.5 Footwear impressions.

8.6 Glass fragments.

8.7 Glass fragmentation.

8.8 Soils.

8.9 Firearms.

8.10 Scene recovery of firearms.

8.11 Gunshot residues (GSR).

8.12 Drugs of abuse (DOA).

8.13 The crime scene characteristics of various DOA's.

8.14 Presumptive tests for drugs.

8.15 Amateur explosives.

8.16 Summary.

Suggested further reading.

PART III Specialised Scenes and Report Writing.

9 The Examination of Fire Scenes (Chris J. Perry).

9.1 Introduction.

9.2 The nature of fire.

9.3 The oxygen demand of fuels.

9.4 Flame and fire classifications.

9.5 Types of evidence specific to fire scenes.

9.6 Locating the seat of the fire.

9.7 Evidence gathering methods.

9.8 Methods for ascertaining whether a crime has been committed.

9.9 Health and safety considerations.

9.10 Summary.

Suggested further reading

10 Examination of Recovered Stolen Motor Vehicles (Keith Trueman).

10.1 Introduction.

10.2 What is a motor vehicle?

10.3 The definition of an auto crime.

10.4 Auto crime scene examinations.

10.5 Requests to attend an 'auto crime' scene.

10.6 The examination process.

10.7 Conclusion.

11 Preparing Reports and Statements (Keith Trueman).

11.1 Introduction.

11.2 Documentation at the crime scene.

11.3 Photography.

11.4 Plans, sketches and diagrams.

11.5 The exhibit label.

11.6 Handling the evidence.

11.7 Statements of evidence.

11.8 Criminal justice Act 1967, section 9.

11.9 Crime scene examination statements.

11.10 Conclusion.

Appendix Police Service Rank Structure.

Index.