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Preliminary Documentation and Evaluation of the Scene
When conducting a crime scene assessment:
- Talk to the first responding officer regarding hid/her observations and activities
- Determine the entry and exit points to the crime scene
- Document every person who is entering and exiting the crime scene and evaluate any biohazardous safety issues that should be considered
- Identify possible locations and sources of DNA evidence
- Thoroughly document the scene with diagrams and photographs (with scale in view when appropriate)
- Document if evidence is wet or dry when discovered
- Document any bloodstain patterns, with reference points, before collection
These factors can be very important to the future investigation of the case.
NOTE: An alternative light source may be used to locate stains, such as semen and saliva, on evidence before the processing begins.
Additional Online Courses
- What Every First Responding Officer Should Know About DNA Evidence
- Collecting DNA Evidence at Property Crime Scenes
- DNA – A Prosecutor’s Practice Notebook
- Crime Scene and DNA Basics
- Laboratory Safety Programs
- DNA Amplification
- Population Genetics and Statistics
- Non-STR DNA Markers: SNPs, Y-STRs, LCN and mtDNA
- Firearms Examiner Training
- Forensic DNA Education for Law Enforcement Decisionmakers
- What Every Investigator and Evidence Technician Should Know About DNA Evidence
- Principles of Forensic DNA for Officers of the Court
- Law 101: Legal Guide for the Forensic Expert
- Laboratory Orientation and Testing of Body Fluids and Tissues
- DNA Extraction and Quantitation
- STR Data Analysis and Interpretation
- Communication Skills, Report Writing, and Courtroom Testimony
- Español for Law Enforcement
- Amplified DNA Product Separation for Forensic Analysts