EVIDENCE TECHNICIAN PROGRAM MANUAL - OPTIMIZING CRIME SCENE SEARCH OPERATIONS

• NCJ Number: 34710
• Author(s): J H JONES; J L PETERSON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 102 pages
• Corporate Author: John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Sale Source: John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS MANUAL EXAMINES THE SELECTION, TRAINING, AND ROLE OF EVIDENCE TECHNICIANS, THE EQUIPMENT THEY USE, THE PLACE OF EVIDENCE TECHNICIANS IN THE POLICE ORGANIZATION, AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION.

Abstract

FIVE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE EVIDENCE TECHNICIAN PROGRAM ARE DISCUSSED IN THIS MANUAL. THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT STEP IS THE SELECTION AND TRAINING OF COMPETENT INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL BECOME EVIDENCE TECHNICIANS. WELL-TRAINED AND MOTIVATED PERSONNEL ARE THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL TECHNICIAN PROGRAM. NEXT IN IMPORTANCE ARE THE TOOLS, KITS AND VEHICLES WHICH ARE USED BY THE TECHNICIAN IN PROCESSING CRIME SCENES. ALTHOUGH TOO MUCH EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON SUCH CRIME SCENE EQUIPMENT IN RECENT YEARS, THERE ARE BASIC TOOLS AND VEHICLES WHICH ARE REQUIRED. THE PLACEMENT AND STATURE OF THE EVIDENCE TECHNICIAN UNIT WITHIN THE OVERALL POLICE AND CRIME LABORATORY ORGANIZATION IS A THIRD IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION. ISSUES WHICH ARE DISCUSSED INCLUDE THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE TECHNICIAN UNIT TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT, THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE UNIT TO THE LABORATORY, AND THE NEED FOR PROVISIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT'S POLICIES AND GENERAL ORDERS WHICH SUPPORT THE PROGRAM. FROM THIS BASIS THE FOURTH STEP, THE ACTUAL TRANSLATION OF PERSONNEL, EQUIPMENT AND ORGANIZATION INTO FIELD OPERATIONS, IS ANALYZED. CRITICAL DECISIONS WHICH THE TECHNICIAN MUST ROUTINELY MAKE ARE EXAMINED, RANGING FROM HIS DECISION TO RESPOND TO THE CRIME SCENE ON THROUGH TO THE CHOICES DETERMINING WHICH EVIDENCE IS SUBMITTED FOR ANALYSIS. THE FINAL CHAPTER IS DEVOTED TO A DISCUSSION OF ALTERNATIVE MEANS FOR EVALUATING AN EVIDENCE TECHNICIAN OPERATION. GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING MEANINGFUL PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND APPROPRIATE CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PROGRESS TOWARD THOSE OBJECTIVES ARE PRESENTED. A NUMBER OF TABLES ARE INCLUDED WHICH DEMONSTRATE HOW BOTH THE INTERNAL PERFORMANCE OF A TECHNICIAN UNIT AND ITS IMPACT ON THE MORE GENERAL GOALS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM CAN BE MEASURED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)