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Flashcards in Crime Scene Investigation Deck (35)
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0
Q

Immediate action

What should be done On arrival?

A

Arrival
• Park in safe place
• Note time, weather etc
• Consider safety and approach to scene
• Locate informant - ask to point out where crime occurred and to id victim and suspect and their whereabouts
• Record and mark out clear path into scene. Avoid path taking by offender
• Take care not to contaminate or destroy evidence

1
Q

Immediate action:

What should be done enroute?

A
Enroute
• Obtain all info available
• Consider risks and plan approach
• Get description of suspect - vehicles, direction of travel
• Discuss roles and responsibilities
2
Q

What is the first priority?

Victim: when injured

A

Victim
• When injured:
• first aid, ambos, record injury, if likely to die try to obtain statement - may be admissible (S.18 Evidence Act)
• Note or record position before moved/
• If hospitalised, accompany, obtain and preserve clothing, get names of dr’s and ambo personnel. Give sitrep to O/C investigation.

3
Q

What is the first priority?

Victim :When showing no signs of life?

A
  • When showing no signs of life:
  • Check for signs and render assistance if alive
  • Don’t move body unless alive and necessary
  • If moved, don’t return to original position
  • Stand still, record what you can see - position of body and exhibits
  • Note cond. of clothing - wet, bloody, disarranged?
  • Sketch plan of room or sight - note position of all you can see
4
Q

What should be done with witnesses?

A

Witnesses - separate, contain, interview

5
Q

Describe steps to establishing order at a scene:

A

Control
• Remove all people from scene
• Ensure they don’t disturb, take anything, contaminate
• Assemble in clear area and stay with them
• Warn not to talk to each other
• Obtain full particulars - prelim interviews
• Unless arrested, can’t force them to cooperate.

6
Q

When dealing with a suspect what should you do?

A

Dealing with suspect
• Ensure does not leave scene
• Don’t arrest unless absolutely necessary and even then only if you have GC to suspect
• Separate from witness and other suspect
• Note appearance, conduct, demeanour
• Conduct prelim search and prevent disposal of evidence

7
Q

What should CIB staff be briefed on? O/C scene?
Do police have a right to photograph lawful prisoners?
What if they refuse?

A
  • Situation
  • What has been, is being and needs to be done
  • All MOP who initially attend need to record their observations
8
Q

What should O/C scene be briefed on?

A

O/C scene when arriving on scene:
• Thorough briefing from police in attendance
• Ensure scene cleared and witnesses contained.
• Victim and suspect taken separately from scene to station
• Check scene boundaries and adjust
• Brief all police on their duties
• Est. log for those entering and a common path route into scene
• Make preliminary recon to see what urgent action may be required to preserve evidence/exhibits
• Consider hot, cold, warm zone method

9
Q

Do police have a right to photograph lawful prisoners?

What if they refuse?

A

Prisoner photographs
• Those in lawful custody may be photographed by police (at police station or other place used for police purposes)
• Refusal is an offence - imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, fine not exceeding $5000 or both.

10
Q

When should/must a police photographer be used?

A
  • If there has been a fatality or if prosecution is likely or a major enquiry is likely.
  • The exhibits themselves cannot be presented in Court
11
Q

How should an accelerant be collected and packaged?

A

Accelerants
• Recover pools of suspicious liquids by drawing up the sample using a sterile adequately sized syringe and then decant into an accelerant container
• Smaller amounts swab with cotton wool
• seal in nylon bags or clean dry, airtight glass jars/metal containers

12
Q

How should a bite be treated?

A

Bites
• No not touch a bite mark
• Swab area with the wet and dry swabbing technique
• If on skin trace using clear acetate sheet and permanent marker pen. obtain cast if skin is broken. Swab for saliva.
• If on food, preserve food by wrapping in tissue moistened with a formalin solution. Send to dental specialist.

13
Q

How should hair be treated?
How should exhibits obtained from crime scene be managed/ seized/ packaged?
Should evidence containing blood/biological material be sealed immediately if wet?
What is a POL143?
How should control samples be stored and transported?
What are four categories of biological material?
What are the different types of blood staining?
What is the chain of evidence?
What is contamination and how does it occur?
What is cross-contamination?
Define Degrade
DefineDeteriorate
What is a crime scene? Examples
What is an elimination sample?
What is the golden hour?
How is the ‘integrrity of evidence’ maintained?
What are latent prints?
Are they visible to the naked eye?
Are they visible in grease and blood?
What determines the ‘order of examination’
What is persistence?
What is physical evidence?
What is primary transfer?
What is secondary transfer?
What is significance?
What is trace evidence?
Can it be seen by the human eye?
Describe the zonal system: What uses does each zone have?
How does a buccal swap differ from a saliva sample?
What is the decontamination zone model and when is it used?
What action should be taken at scene (O/C scene) - in terms of the scene itself after all freeze control preserve action has been tended to:
1. Make plan of scene
What further enquiries should be made?
What should be done with the suspect?

A

Hair
• Recover with translucent tape and sandwich between acetate sheet.
• Use tweezers and place on sellotape as above. Record where recovered from.
• For general hair and fibre taping work over an item (ie. car seat) systematically in a grid fashion.
• Label all as exhibits
• Securely package and seal tapings in envelopes/sleeves.
• Package loose fibres in screw top containers.
• Package, seal, label asap to avoid contamination

14
Q

How should exhibits obtained from crime scene be managed/ seized/ packaged?

A

Crime Scene Examination
• Package, seal and label exhibits as soon as they are taken
• Do not reuse any packaging
• Seal with tape and sign across
• Do not reopen after sealing until examination stage
• Completely dry evidence containing blood or other body fluids before packaging. Affix biohazard warning labels to the outer.
• Place evidence contaminated with human blood or other potentially infectious materials in sealed multi wall paper sack and label with biohazard warning. Avoid plastic and sealed jars when dealing with biological material as this will cause rapid degeneration of DNA.
• Attach label that includes, exh no. description of item collected, location of item, time and date found, by whom collected, from whom collected (if applicable)
• Store and transport control samples and items from each person in separate outer containers (ie. large paper sacks)

15
Q

Should evidence containing blood/biological material be sealed immediately if wet?

A

No, dry naturally. Blood to be collected on dry sterile swab

16
Q

What are four categories of biological material?

A
  • Body fluids - semen, saliva, blood
  • Trace biological - epithelial cells (skin or mouth) transferred through contact
  • Hairs - hair shaft only, hair root
  • Toxicology - drugs in blood, urine, hair.
17
Q

What are the different types of blood staining?

A

cast off (from implement or weapon)
• Pooled blood (person lying in one position for period of time)
• Dripped (indicates direction/movement of victim/assailant
• Spattered (indicate impact or blows)
• Arterial spurting
• Backspatter (firearm wound)
• Latent blood stains (not evident to naked eye and require luminol testing)

18
Q

What is the chain of evidence?
What is contamination and how does it occur?
What is cross-contamination?
Define Degrade
DefineDeteriorate
What is a crime scene? Examples
What is an elimination sample?
What is the golden hour?
How is the ‘integrrity of evidence’ maintained?
What are latent prints?
Are they visible to the naked eye?
Are they visible in grease and blood?
What determines the ‘order of examination’
What is persistence?
What is physical evidence?
What is primary transfer?
What is secondary transfer?
What is significance?
What is trace evidence?
Can it be seen by the human eye?
Describe the zonal system: What uses does each zone have?
How does a buccal swap differ from a saliva sample?
What is the decontamination zone model and when is it used?
What action should be taken at scene (O/C scene) - in terms of the scene itself after all freeze control preserve action has been tended to:
1. Make plan of scene
What further enquiries should be made?
What should be done with the suspect?

A

Chain of evidence
• record of all people who have had custody of an exhibit since it was discovered, its presentation in court and its security in police records.

19
Q

What is contamination and how does it occur?
What is cross-contamination?
Define Degrade
DefineDeteriorate
What is a crime scene? Examples
What is an elimination sample?
What is the golden hour?
How is the ‘integrrity of evidence’ maintained?
What are latent prints?
Are they visible to the naked eye?
Are they visible in grease and blood?
What determines the ‘order of examination’
What is persistence?
What is physical evidence?
What is primary transfer?
What is secondary transfer?
What is significance?
What is trace evidence?
Can it be seen by the human eye?
Describe the zonal system: What uses does each zone have?
How does a buccal swap differ from a saliva sample?
What is the decontamination zone model and when is it used?
What action should be taken at scene (O/C scene) - in terms of the scene itself after all freeze control preserve action has been tended to:
1. Make plan of scene
What further enquiries should be made?
What should be done with the suspect?

A

Contamination

• Material is added to the exhibit post incident. .. when humans and animals enter the scene

20
Q

What is cross-contamination?

A

Cross-contamination - is exchange of traces of forensic material between offender, crime scene, victim and other people.

21
Q

Define Degrade

Define deteriorate

A

Degrade
• Over time all bio material degrades naturally. Ie. body in shallow grave for several weeks.
Deteriorate
• Blood exposed to sun, exhibit exposed to rain, wet cloth exhibit in sealed plastic bag grows mould.

22
Q

What is a crime scene? Examples

A

A crime scene
• any place where offender has been in relation to the crime.
• Place where offence occurred, the body itself in a homocide, all people present, vehicles, the suspects themselves, victim and suspect’s home and work.

23
Q

What is an elimination sample?

A

Elimination sample
• samples taken from people not connected with offence but who may have come into contact with the crime scene evidence. Taken to separate subject from the suspect’s DNA.

24
Q

What is the golden hour?

A

Golden Hour
• Period immediately following commission of offence when material is abundant and readily available to Police.
• Positive action in this period maximises chance of securing material that will be admissible in court.

25
Q

How is the ‘integrity of evidence’ maintained?

A

Integrity of evidence
• Is protected by ensuring cs is controlled and documented
• Forensic exam is conducted by personnel with an acceptable level of knowledge of the scientific method and are suitably trained/qualified.

26
Q

What are latent prints?

Are they visible to the to the naked eye?

A

• Latent prints are present but invisible to naked eye. Able to be seen with use of reagent.

27
Q

What determines the ‘order of examination’

A

Order is determined by investigative need, which type of analysis is going to be of most evidential value.

28
Q

What is persistence?

A

Persistence
• Refers to length of time forensic material is able to be detected following a crime.
• Persistence of blood can be affected by weather, by washing or wiping the surface on which it was found.
• Persistence of forensic material is key reason why prompt action is necessary when a serious crime scene is discovered.

29
Q

What is physical evidence?

A

Physical Evidence
• Can est links between things -i.e. link to a person through items they have been assoc. with.
• They can be examined for their physical fit (part to a whole - broken indicator fits car involved in hit and run), impressions (tyre marks), their composition (drugs), the residue they leave (minute material traces).

30
Q

What is primary transfer?

A
  • The direct transfer of evidence from one party to another. Generally requires contact between the parties.
  • i.e. fibres from victim’s jersey transferred to offenders jacket during struggle. or offender’s blood on victim’s clothing.
31
Q

What is secondary transfer?

A

Secondary Transfer
• This is the indirect transfer of evidence to a third party.
• A dances with B (primary transfer), B then dances with C (secondary transfer). Fibres from A are now on C.

32
Q

What is significance?

A

Significance

• evidential value of material sample for evidence collection

33
Q

What is trace evidence?

Can it be seen by the human eye?

A

Trace Evidence
• Is microscopic or minute samples of evidence. Both biological and physical evidence.
• May possibly be seen by human eye

34
Q

Describe the zonal system: What uses does each zone have?

A

Cold
• Place within outer cordon for meetings, briefings, debriefings meals, scene guards etc
• Scene guard logs movement in and out of cold zone.
Warm
• A transition zone to enable scene examiners to put on and take off protective clothing, change clothing, access equipment and process exhibits.
• Often a tent with floor covered with a new disposable tarp. Tent should have two doors providing for movement between cold and warm as well as between warm and hot zones.
• Biohazard rubbish disposed of.
Hot
• That part of the scene requiring examination and evidence collection.
• Each examiner must log their movements in and out of the hot zone. Clipboard for this purpose near the transition between the warm and hot zones.