Unit 2 CSI and Evidence Collection

To avoid losing or contaminating evidence

To speed up the investigation process

To ensure the crime scene is cleaned quickly

To make the scene look organized

Evidence must be sufficient and scientific

Evidence must be consistent when retested

Evidence must be valid

Evidence must be collected by the police chief

Police officers

Medical examiners

Firefighters

Crime scene investigators

Intensity, duration, and nature of contact

The age of the entities

The location of the crime scene

The number of investigators present

Firsthand observations

Fingerprints

Biological evidence

Circumstantial evidence

A group of persons

A fingerprint

A collection of objects

A set of footprints

Securing the scene

Sketching the scene

Searching for evidence

Interviewing suspects

Evidence must be scientific, sufficient, reliable, and valid

Guidelines for expert witness testimony are provided by DOJ and ASA

Investigator experience alone is sufficient for evidence validity

Evidence must be evaluated

Arson to cover other crimes

Murder staged to look like suicide

Burglary to collect insurance money

Robbery staged to look like an accident

Ground penetrating radar

Drones

3-D stationery camera systems

Fingerprint powder

Properly handling, collecting, and labeling evidence

Analyzing evidence in a forensic laboratory

Establishing new guidelines for expert witnesses

Ignoring chain of custody procedures

To avoid losing or contaminating evidence

To speed up the investigation process

To impress the jury

To reduce paperwork