HANDLING A CRIME SCENE Students: Take turns reading out loud the slides as they come up. The reader should then make a comment about the slide, the problem or the solution. I will do the first one for you.

It seems like this should be simple. The reader might comment: “It does seem like it should be simple, but just the fact that this slide is here, suggests that there is a twist, a complication. Perhaps it is in the priorities of a case.”

The officer just has to: Go to the scene. See who the victim is. See who the suspect is. Arrest the suspect. Collect the evidence.

During our discussion it should have been made clear that the importance of a piece of evidence is not only in its existence, but also in its location. It is therefore critical that the scene not be disturbed until …

…the scene has been sketched, photographed, and the specific location of each piece of evidence determined.

So, why the quandary? What is the dilemma?

Well, as you know a “quandary” is merely a state of uncertainty about what to do in a difficult situation.

And a “dilemma” is a situation where a person has to make a difficult choice between undesirable choices.

The simplest way to explain the quandary is to describe the dilemma that caused it.

So, here are the elements of the dilemma.

The scene must be secured with the evidence protected and undisturbed so it seems that these actions should take place first.

But sometimes there are hazards that need to be taken care of But sometimes there are hazards that need to be taken care of. For example, the suspect might still be on the scene, maybe out in the open, maybe in hiding. The suspect could be a continuing danger to the victim, the witnesses and the officers.

So it seems that searching for the suspect should be done first.

But the search is likely to disturb the scene.

In the case of a violent crime, the victim is often hurt, sometimes critically. Immediate medical attention is needed so, perhaps this should take place first.

But, if you are focused on taking care of the victim’s injuries, there may still be hazards to you and the victim on the scene. For example, the suspect we discussed in the previous slides may still be there.

If you call for medical assistance, such as the fire department, EMTs or an ambulance, the quality of care of the victim will improve, but now there are additional people who may destroy evidence or who may be harmed by the suspect or other hazards.

In your packet is a list of actions suggested by the National Institute of Justice. However, they are not in the sequence that they should be. They are listed alphabetically.

Your task in Assignment 2, is to read the list and then put them into a sequence that you think best preserves life, locates the suspect and protects the scene from contamination.

A Fun Way to Solve This Problem Have each student read out loud one of the steps in the list and write that down in large letters on a plain sheet of paper. That student now becomes the actors that personify that step. When all the steps are represented, have those students come to the front of the room and stand next to the leader. The leader, and the remaining students, then direct the actors to line up in different orders until an agreed upon sequence is established. Then everyone writes down the sequence, or their own version of it, in the packet as their response to Assignment #2.

The List That You Must Rearrange is: Approach the scene cautiously. Assess the victim for signs of life and medical needs. Be aware of any persons or vehicles leaving the crime scene. Call for medical personnel.

Establish one entry and exit point to the scene and assign an officer to bar entry to those who don’t need to perform an investigative task there. Establish the boundaries of the crime scene including potential points of entry and exit of suspects and witnesses. Make initial observations (Look, Listen, Smell) to assess the scene and ensure officer safety and the safety of additional responders.

Note information that the officer received when he, or she, got the call. Provide immediate medical attention. Secure, identify, control and remove non- essential persons from the scene. Set up physical barriers to define the scene and bar entry to it.