NCJ Number
203359
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 51 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2003 Pages: 56-59
Date Published
November 2003
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discuses the use of instant photography as an efficient, effective, and tamper-proof tool for crime scene photography.
Abstract
The mission of a crime scene investigator is to protect the integrity of a crime scene. Efficient documenting and collecting of crime scene evidence is important for its later examination and use in criminal court. Following a discussion of the various tools used by crime scene investigators, including cameras and notebooks, the article notes that use of instant photography allows law enforcement agencies to control their field costs while performing their duties at the highest level. The photographs taken by a crime scene investigator help to re-create the story of the crime for judges and juries by providing a clear visual record of the crime scene. The Polaroid Macro 5 SLR camera is an easy-to-use camera designed to provide high-resolution, instant close-up photos in up to three times life size. After discussing this camera’s ability to deliver detailed close-ups of images of wounds, fingerprints, serial numbers, tool marks, footprints, tire tracks, fibers, paint transfers, and minute striations in a bullet hole, the article describes the use of both 35mm and Polaroid Macro 5 SLR cameras at the “Ground Zero” crime scene and in the burglary of a child’s bedroom in order to recover and record information that was not viewable by the naked eye. The article notes that instant photography has become the documentation tool of choice for crime investigators within the Ennis, Texas Police Department and throughout the Nation.