Recovery of Physical Evidence When documentation of the scene is - TopicsExpress

Recovery of Physical Evidence When documentation of the scene is complete, the scene of crime officers can then proceed to collect physical evidence from the scene. The nature of the evidence itself will determine the method of collection and how it is contained. It may be necessary to focus on the collection of certain evidence first, namely items that may be particularly fragile or valuable to the investigation. If a body is present at the scene, it will often be impossible to touch or move the victim until the necessary specialist has arrived at the scene, such as the pathologist. Before the body is transported to the mortuary, plastic bags are secured over the head, hands and feet to prevent the loss of trace evidence. Packaging of Physical Evidence As with recovery methods, the packaging of physical evidence is dependant on the nature of the evidence. All items collected should be packaged, stored and transported in such a way that prevents any change or damage from taking place between the time it is recovered and the time it is received by the laboratory. Small, dry item may be folded in paper and then sealed in polythene bags, whereas wet items should be sealed in polythene bags and frozen, especially if they contain potential biological samples. Every item collected should be placed in a separate container to prevent damage through contact and cross-contamination. Finally, all pieces of physical evidence should be labelled with any identifying information regarding the item, plus the location in which it was found, the crime it relates to, and the date and signature of all persons involved in its recovery.