2. Securing the crime sceneCSP

Call out

• crime scene investigators are never the first officers to a crime scene

• may not even be called out to some incidents

• uniformed police will be called to the scene by the person reporting the incident

• responsible for the initial treatment of the area

• a crime scene officer will be called out by a police officer

First response

• Approach

• Render first aid

• Identify additional victims and potential witnesses

• Secure the crime scene

• Notify other appropriate authorities

• need to help victims of the crime• prevent potential witnesses and suspects from leaving the area• avoid contaminating and damaging evidence at the scene

Approach & secure

• observations made by the officer as they approach the scene

• avoid damaging evidence

• determine extent of the scene

• secondary crime scenes may be established at separate locations

Exercise 2.1What is the crime scene secured against?• removal of evidence• destruction of evidence• addition of items unrelated to the incident

Exercise 2.2

What ways other than tape lines might be used to secure a crime scene?

• police officer• close the door• vehicle• barricade

Crime scene logs

• role of the first responder unit is establishment of crime scene log• documents who has entered the crime scene, when and when they left• only authorised persons who will be allowed across the secure boundary,

but they must be recorded

EXERCISE 2.3

(a) Other than forensic officers and police, who else might be authorised to enter the scene?• fire/ambulance/morgue/hazardous substances unit• animal handlers

(b) Why is it necessary to record the arrival and exit of authorised persons onto the crime scene?• evidence in court

(c) What information should be recorded on a crime scene log, other than the names of those who access the scene?• time in/out• reason• official ID• name of person in charge of log

EXERCISE 2.4

• Read Appendix 2, which describes the sequence of events in the “OJ Simpson” case from the initial report to the point at which forensic officers arrive.

• note significant aspects relating to the first response officers and the securing of the crime scene

• indicate anything that appears incorrectly done

Exercise 2.5

a) What were PC Brown’s two key duties in attending this crime scene?• reassure the victim and explain the process• thinking through the burglar’s likely actions

b) What were his first actions?• contact Control• tell Mrs Jones not to touch anything• check that burglar not on premises• move transient evidence under cover

c) How did he go about assessing the interior of the house for evidence?• slow walkthrough with Mrs Jones• care not to touch or contaminate anything

d) What instructions were provided to Mrs Jones during the course of PC Brown’s investigations?

• don’t clean anything up• when the CS officer would arrive

e) How did PC Brown communicate with the crime scene officer regarding his assessment of the scene and his actions? What are your thoughts about this? Why do you believe it was done in this way?

• left a note• not very satisfactory• minor crime, so not a CSI priority, PC Brown had to move on

Attendance by a crime scene officer

• not all crimes are serious enough to warrant the expense of a crime scene officer

• routine cases with worthwhile physical evidence will involve the crime scene officer arriving well after the police have finished their enquiries and left the scene

• serious crimes (eg murder, rape) will bring the crime scene officer to the scene while the police are still there

Handover

• on arrival, the CSI officer should begin by gaining information from the first response officer

• this is known as handover – a transfer of information from the first response officer, verbally and physically

Exercise 2.6

(a) Why wouldn’t the CSI officer simply march onto the crime scene and begin work, without consulting with the first response officer?• won’t have logged in• will spend extra valuable time, discovering things that the FRO already

knew• make conclusions based on false assumptions

(b) What information can the first response officer provide to the just-arrived crime scene officer? • nature of crime• location of obvious physical evidence• changes to scene (eg door closed, location of person)

Preliminary Survey

• necessary to have a plan of attack (determine priorities)• will familiarise officers with the layout of the crime scene• whether the area needs to be expanded or reduced• whether the scene may separated into multiple smaller scenes• location of physical evidence already found by the first response officer• transient or fragile physical evidence which needs immediate action or

protection• OH&S issues• the best means of entry and exit for authorised personnel• the need for specialised personnel, extra equipment etc