Securing the Crime Scene

When a crime occurs, it is important to protect and preserve the crime scene as much as possible so that evidence can be collected without contamination. Securing the crime scene is generally the responsibility of the responding police officer and is maintained throughout the investigation until police release the scene from their custody. While it is important to protect the crime scene from contamination, some circumstances require that the officer enter the crime scene such as:

A victim who needs life-saving medical assistance
Arrest of a suspect still on-scene

Though these conditions may warrant that the responding officer enter the crime scene and potentially disturb the victim or evidence, an officer must ensure that the scene is safe and cleared for the other personnel arriving on-scene. An officer must also provide medical assistance as needed until paramedics arrive if there are any living victims. If an officer does move a victim or disturb evidence, he or she should make notes of how the victim or item of evidence was found upon arriving at the scene and how it was disturbed. These details can be very important in a case.

A responding officer should also take note of various areas of the crime scene such as:

The condition of any windows, doors and lighting
Any signs of activity
If any noticeable odors are present (alcohol, chemicals, drug residues etc.)
Basic information of any suspect(s) including physical description, physical and mental condition, any intoxication, any statements.
Basic information about the victim(s) and their condition

Next, the crime scene should be marked by crime scene tape or roping so that a visual barrier of the contained area is obvious to those who may enter the crime scene unknowingly. This not only keeps others out of the scene, but helps investigators focus their immediate search for evidence. The responding officer should take any witness statements and make careful notes of any observations or leads and report them to the investigator.

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