Chapter 3

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1 Explain what the first responding officers should be doing as they approach at the scene of crime that has just occurred and what they should do when they first arrive at the scene?

The first officers to arrive at a scene are arguably very crucial during an investigation. The first officer to respond often breaks or makes the crime scene. How the first responding officers handle a crime scene could dictate the proceedings of the general investigation. Majority of police investigations initiate at the crime scene.

When approaching the crime scene, the officer should first observe the weather of the scene and the people around it. The officer should ensure that change is not introduced into the scene even by the authorities. When arriving at the scene, the patrol car should be parked at a further distance from the crime scene to avoid alerting any possible suspects and also to avoid impacting the evidence left by the suspect (Baber and Mark Butler 413-424). However, evidence may be compromised by an officer when either an officer or a civilian is in danger. An effort of locating and apprehending a culprit should be initiated. When the crime scene is guaranteed on not posing more risk, the officers should barricade all the places that are capable of holding any evidence. Unauthorized police and personnel should not be allowed at the scene. When securing the scene, caution should be taken to avoid disturbing of evidence. They should also be very careful with observation. The first responding officers should take note in writing the whole situation, the movements and the actions that were undertaken since arrival. The names of the witnesses and the suspects should be recorded.

2. Explain when and why known standards of evidence should be collected?

The collection of evidence involves the recovery step in a crime scene management process. The evidence is classified in different forms. These include blood, knife, photographs, gun and more of the like. For officers to understand what happened in a crime scene, it is important to collect evidence in an accurate and timely manner. The people who should gather evidence include Crime Scene Investigators, First Responders, and specialized personnel (Baber and Mark Butler 413-424). Forensics assist with the use of different techniques and tools. Collection of evidence assists in attaining a successful investigation.

Works cited

Baber, Chris, and Mark Butler. "Expertise in crime scene examination: comparing search strategies of expert and novice crime scene examiners in simulated crime scenes." Human factors 54.3 (2012): 413-424.