Evidence Handling Procedures for Law Enforcement Officers

What should an officer do when handling evidence to avoid destruction of latent fingerprints or trace evidence?

When marking an item for later identification, an officer should:

What is the officer's responsibility regarding evidence if a UEDI/Crime Scene Unit Investigator is not available?

What action should an officer take when a firearm must be removed from a crime scene to protect it?

How should an officer protect evidence from unnecessary handling?

Why is it important for an officer to mark the exact location where evidence was found?

What is the primary responsibility of the officer who recovers a firearm at a crime scene?

How should the officer handle the recovered firearm after documenting its condition and location?

What additional step is required of all officers involved in a felony apprehension at a crime scene?

What is the first step a UEDI/Crime Scene Unit Investigator should take upon arriving at a crime scene?

When is a UEDI/Crime Scene Unit Investigator required to receive approval and direction from a supervisor before processing a major crime scene?

What is the purpose of establishing a perimeter at a crime scene using crime scene barrier tape?

What should the follow-up unit detective do if provided with a copy of the master video recording upon arrival at the scene?

If the master video recording is made from a digital recording device, how should the follow-up unit detective view the video?

What should the follow-up unit detective do if additional video is needed after reviewing the digital video recordings made at the scene?

If the follow-up unit detective takes custody of a master video recording, where should they deliver it?

Where should any master video recordings received by or forwarded to the follow-up detective NOT be stored?

Where should all master video recordings ultimately be forwarded to?

What should be done to safeguard the entrances and exits possibly used by the perpetrator?

Which areas should be isolated during a robbery crime scene investigation?

What should the UEDI/Crime Scene Unit Investigator be shown?

When is a UEDI/Crime Scene Unit Investigator dispatched for a burglary crime scene?

If the owner or authorized representative is not available to give consent for processing a burglary scene, what should the UEDI/Crime Scene Unit Investigator do?

Under what circumstances can a supervisory officer authorize the processing of a burglary scene when the owner or authorized representative cannot be located?

According to the procedures outlined, who should be present during the execution of search warrants where digital storage devices are anticipated?

What should officers do if they encounter digital storage devices during a search?

If switches, buttons, keyboards or other input devices on digital storage devices are manipulated, what should be done?

If a digital storage device is located and determined to be related to a criminal offense, what should be done?

If a Technical Investigations Detail Detective does not respond to the scene, who will collect the digital storage device(s)?

Where can the collected digital storage device(s) be taken for forensic analysis?