FSC100H5 CSI: The Initial Response & Scene Security PDF

Rachael Ori Professor. Shelby Scott FSC100H5 September 24...

Rachael Ori Professor. Shelby Scott FSC100H5 September 24, 2024 CSI: The Initial Response & Scene Security Notes ○ Receipt of information ○ Polarization of efforts ○ Safety and emergency care (preservation of life) Incident reported and first responders dispatched Initial responding officer - Ensures integrity and preservation of the crime scene Uniformed police supervisor assumes responsibility Crime scene investigator results Arriving on Scene: Priorities of First Responders Many jurisdictions rely on three-tiered response ○ Police ○ Emergency Medical Service ○ Fire Safety of first responders and those at / near scene is the priority ○ Responding police officer identifies and initiates the appropriate response Next priority: preservation of life ○ Even at expense of evidence/scene preservation Scene Alteration When possible, first responders should avoid altering the crime scene ○ Initial response must be effective, efficient, methodological Preservation of life is paramount ○ Scene alternation not a problem if reasonable explanation exists as justification for such Must be documented and have a reasonable explanation for doing so (so they have knowledge as to what has occurred) Under certain circumstances, there must be proper justification for evidence being destroyed or altered during a scene Examples of reasonable explanations or justification for an altered scene: ➵ Damages caused to gain entry ➵ Damage from suspect apprehension ➵ Item relocation from medical assistance ➵ Environmental effects ➵ Time lapse prior to scene discovery Police must maintain documentation of what happened, how are scene was altered ○ Provide to detective or investigator ○ This is an important step which is heavily detailed Role of Responding Police Officer ➔ Responding police officer often first to arrive ➔ Duties of a responding police officer: ◆ Safety of first responders ◆ Preservation of life; safety for others on scene(putting perimeter tape and putting others out of the scene) ◆ Scene security and preservation ◆ Thorough documentation ◆ Transference of responsibility (to higher authority) ➔ Same despite officer rank or seriousness of crime (treat every scene as most serious as it could be, before turning it down - utmost seriousness, thus duties will always be the same) ➔ Do not rush into a scene; observe and assess ➤ Responsibility to try to preserve physical evidence subject to alteration by life saving actions Safety At The Crime Scene ➷ From immediate threats to the safety of first responders or others at the scene ➷ Safety of responders of paramount importance ➷ First thing responding police officer must do is render the scene safe ○ Suspect may be on scene May need to arrest or detain suspect If flees, take responsible measures to protect scene while attempting apprehension ➷ When site is deemed safe, lifesaving measures may be implemented by responding personnel Scene Security & Preservation When scene deemed safe, assess situation Proceed with extreme caution when entering crime scene ○ Be aware of where evidence may be found ○ Observe all details ○ Important to document everything Securing the crime scene mitigates evidence removal or alteration, and/or contamination Locard’s Exchange Principle Demonstrates the importance of scene security and maintaining the integrity of a crime scene Scene security maintained through: ○ Physical presence - police guarding the crime scene ○ Police line tape ○ Locks and barriers Locking a door (indoor scene) Barricades with vehicles, boards, etc Method depends on scope and location of crime scene ○ Death investigations - tents, to conceal remains (contamination purposes, and respect for the disease) Question: who or what are some people or factors that may harm to a crime scene ➙ Person who committed the crime or are associated w the suspect ➙ Media ➙ Curious members of public ➙ Crime souvenir collectors ➙ Thieves ➙ Members of other police units, departments or agencies ➙ Victims or other persons affected at the scene ➙ Weather Determining The Scope of The Scene Recall - typical crime scene consists of: ➤ Inner perimeter: - core area where criminal act occurred ➤ Outer perimeter: - including provable entry and exhibit routes - police tape Entrance and exit points are where the tape should be established Perimeter prevents damage to any potential evidence (better large, so it can be reduced - cannot risk evidence being tampered with) Rule of Thumb - designate large premiere and reduce if prudent to do so ↪ Can be reduced without sacrificing integrity crime scene/evidence Path of Contamination ↳ Arrival to scene is chaotic ⚈ Asses scene boundaries and instruct emergency personnel of best route of entry ↳ Thus, Responding officer should establish a “Path of Contamination” ↻ Path to focal point of the scene ↻ Always used to access crime scene What is the best legible path, that every officer from then on will use to enter and exit the scene ( although it has the potential to change, it is very unlikely) (least likely to have been contaminated with evidence, although sometimes this is not possible) Maintaining a Security Log Scene security officer designated ○ Prevent entry into the crime scene by unauthorized persons Remain on scene until processed Must also keep record of all those that enter and exit the crime scene ○ Crime scene access logs: Name and affiliation (title) Time of entry and exit Why they were on the scene Under whose authority they entered (e.g RCMP under the authority of ____ supervisor, detective, coroner etc Crime scene access log important Ensures: Crime scene and evidence correctly interpreted ○ Possible contamination and cross-contamination documented (this is due to Locard’s exchange principle, the higher the chance of cross-contamination, thus they must be able to track whos been in and out the scene.) Especially important in cases where the crime scene record and evidence analyzed some considerable amount of time after processed This documentation will serve to jog memory and keep a record of everything that occurred at the scene. Especially when the trial itself is not happening for some time later Documentation: Responding Police Officer - When entering crime scene observe and take written notes as soon as possible - Initially the scene is chaotic, thus documentation may not be a priority - May be done retrospectively (as soon as possible, immediately after / before they leave the scene) Important to Document ➳ All information surrounding dispatch and arrival at the crime scene (where were they, when did they get there, when did they leave, who was there when they got to the scene, how they entered the scene) ⇢ Time that responding police officer was called to the scene (time of dispatch), time of arrival at the scene, how they entered the scene (the route), what they observed upon arrival at the scene ↪ Important that all actions are documented even negative ones Recall: investigative ethics; must be honest and transparent - Mistakes or honest errors must be disclosed ➹ May turn out to be of little significance with respect to scene integrity but failure to document may result in the officer’s personal integrity being questioned ➳ Information surrounding what (if any) lifesaving measure were administered Where emergency personnel entered and exited the crime scene The time at which life saving measure began The time of which lifesaving measured ceased What objects were displaced, damaged or removed ➳ If injured must be removed from the crime scene, should document things such as: Location of individual Position of the injured person’s body Condition of injured person’s clothing ➳ Any information from witness Information given at the scene may change as time goes on or be misinterpreted / misperceived ○ Take Notes: not a full interrogation Any information from suspects Scene conditions: ○ E.g Were the doors and or windows open? Closed? Were the lights on or off, which were on, which were off? Date and time indicators (food on the stove, old newspapers, dishes in the sink, messages on the answering machine, smell - burning, decomposition etc) Weather (rain, snow, sun, humidity) Transference of Responsibility While waiting to transfer responsibility, responding officer may: Write down names of those who interacted with crime scene Enure documentation requirements fulfilled Establish basic facts: factual account of what happened, not full interrogation (their account of what happened, summative report, or notes - factual account of what happened) Keep suspects and witnesses separated Instructor witnesses not to discuss events Protect evidence Expand protective measures if required Must report everything to detective or those of authority (detective manages investigation, prepare documentation and go to court) Report relevant details to the CSI Arrival of the Crime Scene Investigator Usually, all threats to safety mitigated when crime scene investigator arrives ↪ Personal safety utmost importance ↪ Must also mitigate risk of contact with potentially infectious materials Myth related to the CSI Effect What does a crime scene investigator wear when coming onto a crime scene? They are often seen wearing glamorous clothing. Contamination Contamination may occur: - Between items of evidence - From crime scene investigators or other personnel not wearing proper attire - Inadvertently depositing their own DNA at the crime scene or at an item of evidence - E.g abstray of hair - Cross-contamination - This may undermine the integrity of forensic evidence Personal Protective Equipment Never enter the crime scene without PPE PPE may include: ⤷ Disposable Tyvek Suits - with hoods or other hair cover ⤷ Disposable shoe covers ⤷ Mask or Other Respiratory Protection - covers the mouth and the nose ⤷ Goggles or Eye Protection - never use a face shield alone ⤷ Disposable gloves, nitrile gloves, “double glove technique”, ○ Worn when handling any evidence, potential evidence, or biological material ○ Cut Resistant where applicable Sometimes you need to wear - Hard hat - High visibility outerwear - Firefighter - Bunk gear - Specialized footwear Never: Eating, drinking or smoking at the scene because it inflicts contamination and exposure