NCJ Number
200160
Date Published
June 2004
Length
69 pages
Annotation
Intended to accompany "Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement" (National Institute of Justice, 2000), this reference material can assist trainers and administrators in developing training programs for crime scene investigators.
Abstract
The curriculum materials provide instructors with a framework grounded in research and based in the expertise of the members of the National Institute of Justice's Technical Working Group on Crime Scene Investigation. The curriculum materials are divided into five major sections that address arriving at the scene: initial response/prioritization of efforts, preliminary documentation and evaluation of the scene, processing the scene, completing and recording the crime scene investigation, and crime scene equipment. Lessons that pertain to the initial response and prioritization when arriving at the crime scene cover the following: initial response/receipt of information, safety procedures, emergency care, secure and control persons at the scene, establishment and preservation of scene boundaries, the transfer of control of the scene to the investigators in charge, and documentation of actions and observations at the scene. Lessons on preliminary documentation and evaluation of the scene focus on the scene assessment and scene "walk-through" and initial documentation. Lessons related to scene processing include determination of team composition; ensuring contamination control; documentation of the scene; prioritization of the collection of evidence; and collecting, preserving, inventorying, packaging, transporting, and submitting evidence. Lessons on completing and recording the crime scene investigation involve establishing the crime scene debriefing team, performing a final survey of the crime scene, and documentation of the crime scene. Lessons on crime scene equipment cover the equipment needed by the initial responding officers, the crime scene investigator/evidence technician, and evidence collection kits. An outline of the objective and material for each lesson is provided.