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. 2. Make sure scene is secure. Initial walk-through: 1. 2. 3. 4. Get an overall feel for the crime scene Find out if anything has been moved Generate initial theories based on visual examination TOUCH NOTHING! CSI Unit’s Procedure (cont.) 3. Document the scene 1. 2. 3. 4. 4. Photographs Draw sketches of the scene Video walk-through STILL TOUCH NOTHING! Collect all potential evidence 1. 2. Tag it, log it, and package it so it remains intact during transport to the lab 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!