Crime scene documentation should start the moment the Centervale Police Officer; Michael James arrives at the crime scene. This process should continue until the case is closed. According to Forbes (2008), the main purpose of crime scene documentation is to preserve the location where the crime occurred, record hoe the crime occurred as well as determining the relationship between the evidence present and the perpetrators of the crime.
In this case, the evidences that are readily available to the investigators include the robber’s fingerprints, the bullet hole and an account by the witnesses present when the robbery occurred. The evidence that may be found later when the robber is arrested may include the matching fingerprints found on the crime scene, the gun he was using, the money stolen by the robber.
It is important to sketch the crime scene. By sketching the crime scene, a relationship between the evidence present and the objects in the crime scene should be established. It also creates a mental picture that can be used by persons not present at the crime scene. In documenting the physical evidence, all the objects that are in the crime scene should be documented so as to establish the relationships in the crime scene.
When collecting the physical evidence, you should ensure that the evidence is not contaminated in any way. According to Hess and Orthmann (2010), No physical evidence should be moved until the process of documentation is finished. When packaging the physical evidence, you should ensure that all the evidence is properly packed and labeled appropriately. Each of the evidence should be properly sealed to avoid contamination.
In preserving the integrity of the evidence, you should obtain secure receipts when transferring the evidence. Names, dates and identification numbers should be counterchecked to ensure that the documented evidence is the evidence collected at the crime scene. The number of individuals dealing with the evidence should also be limited. The shot that was taken by the robber should be photographed, and the general orientation of the bank should be well photographed, as well.
Finally, some of the concerns that may arise during this investigation are the trauma that the customers underwent during this robbery. Some of the bank customers need to be medically examined to ensure that no one was injured in the process.
References
Hess, K. M., & Orthmann, C. M. H. (2010). Criminal investigation: Karen M. Hess ; Christine Hess Orthmann. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning.
Forbes, W. T. (2008). The investigation of crime. New York: Kaplan.
