Crime scene investigators are the foundation for every criminal investigation. The admissibility and persuasiveness of evidence in court, and in turn, the success of a case, is largely dependent upon the evidence being properly collected, recorded, and handled for future analysis by investigators and forensic analysts in the lab. Complete Crime Sce
Guidance and procedures for safe and efficient methods from the FBI’s Laboratory Division and Operational Technology Division. The FBI Handbook of Crime Scene Forensics is the official procedural guide for law enforcement agencies, attorneys, and tribunals who wish to submit evidence to the FBI’s Laboratory and Investigative Technology Divisions. This book outlines the proper methods for investigating crime scenes, examining evidence, packing and shipping evidence to the FBI, and observing safety protocol at crime scenes. Types of evidence discussed include: Bullet jacket alloys Computers Hairs Inks Lubricants Ropes Safe insulations Shoe prints Tire treads Weapons of mass destruction Particular attention is paid to recording the appearance of crime scenes through narratives, photographs, videos, audiotapes, or sketches. A guide for professional forensics experts and an introduction for laymen, the FBI Handbook of Crime Scene Forensics makes fascinating reading for anyone with an interest in investigative police work and the criminal justice system.
The analysis of plants, insects, soil and other particulates from scenes of crime can be vital in proving or excluding contact between a suspect and a scene, targeting search areas, and establishing a time and place of death. Forensic Ecology: A Practitioner’s Guide provides a complete handbook covering all aspects of forensic ecology. Bringing together the forensic applications of anthropology, archaeology, entomology, palynology and sedimentology in one volume, this book provides an essential resource for practitioners in the field of forensic science, whether crime scene investigators, forensic science students or academics involved in the recovery and analysis of evidence from crime scenes. Forensic Ecology: A Practitioner’s Guide includes information not only on the search, location, recovery and analysis of evidence, but includes sampling strategies for diatom analysis, pollen and soils samples and entomology and provides guides for good practice. Each chapter provides background information on each discipline and is structured according to pre-scene attendance (what questions should the scientist ask when receiving a call? What sort of preparation is required?), scene attendance (including protocols at the scene, sampling strategies, recording), scientific examination of analysis of the evidence up to the stages and guidelines for witness statement and presenting evidence in court. The book is written by specialists in all fields with a wealth of experience who are current forensic practitioners around the world. It provides an essential and accessible resource for students, academics, forensic practitioners and police officers everywhere.
Unlike other such manuals, this one combines specialized info from dozens of scientific and investigative references in one handy volume. A must for detectives, pathologists, attorneys, crime scene technicians, reporters, EMTs, PIs and mystery buffs.
Even a seemingly trivial mistake in how physical evidence is collected and handled can jeopardise an entire criminal case. The authors present this guide to crime scene procedures, a practical handbook designed for all involved in such work.
This book addresses every aspect of the analysis and reconstruction of the events surrounding a crime. Beginning with established protocols for crime scene processing, the authors outline their unique methodology for event analysis. This technique defines specific actions, discusses the order of those actions, and offers significant insight into determining what did or did not happen in the course of the incident under investigation. Using case studies and more than 200 color photos, the book demonstrates how the method can be used to explain clues that would otherwise be puzzling or ambiguous.
Who is allowed access to a crime scene? What happens when a body is discovered? Will a blood transfusion alter DNA? How can the distribution of gunshot residue inform your plot? The Real CIS - A Forensic Handbook for Crime Writers answers these questions and more in a unique and exclusive insight into crime scene investigation. Using real-life examples and case studies, experienced CSI Kate Bendelow shines a light behind the yellow tape and debunks the myths popularized by the 'CSI Effect'. Each chapter explores the latest procedures in contemporary practice including: Crime Scene access and preservation; fingerprints and DNA profiling; footwear; trace evidence; fire scenes; drugs and toxicology and, finally, firearms. Packed with insider knowledge, handy tips and compelling storylines, this is the definitive guide for all crime writers who wish to write with authenticity and authority."Every crime writer should have a copy of this book on their desk." Lynda La Plante. Illustrated with 59 colour images.
A practical, accessible, and informative guide to the science of criminal investigations. Covering the fundamentals, science, history, and analysis of clues, The Handy Forensic Science Answer Book: Reading Clues at the Crime Scene, Crime Lab and in Court provides detailed information on crime scene investigations, techniques, laboratory finding, the latest research, and controversies. It looks at the science of law enforcement, how evidence is gathered, processed, analyzed, and viewed in the courtroom, and more. From the cause, manner, time of a death, and autopsies to blood, toxicology, DNA typing, fingerprints, ballistics, tool marks, tread impressions, and trace evidence, it takes the reader through the many sides of a death investigation. Arson, accidents, computer crimes, criminal profiling, and much, much more are also addressed. The Handy Forensic Science Answer Book gives real-world examples and looks at what Hollywood gets right and wrong. It provides the history of the science, and it introduces the scientists behind breakthroughs. An easy-to-use and informative reference, it brings the complexity of a criminal investigation into focus and provides well-researched answers to over 950 common questions, such as ... What is the difference between cause of death and manner of death? How did a person’s skull fit into criminal evidence in the early 1800s? When were fingerprints first used to identify a criminal? How is the approximate time of death of a crime scene victim determined? What is forensic serology? What is the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System? Can a forensics expert look at skeletal remains and tell whether the person was obese? How can a simple knot analyzed in the crime lab be used as evidence? Can fingerprints be permanently changed or destroyed? How fast does a bullet travel? How was a chemical analysis of ink important in the conviction of Martha Stewart? What types of data are often retrieved from a crime scene cellphone? Can analyses similar to those used in forensics be used to uncover doping in athletics? What is the Personality Assessment Inventory? What are some motives that cause an arsonist to start a fire? What state no longer allows bite marks as admissible evidence in a trial? What is the Innocence Project? Why are eyewitness accounts not always reliable? Who was “Jack the Ripper”? Providing the facts, stats, history, and science, The Handy Forensic Science Answer Book answers intriguing questions about criminal investigations. This informative book also includes a helpful bibliography, glossary of terms, and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness.
Forensic Evidence Field Guide: A Collection of Best Practices highlights the essentials needed to collect evidence at a crime scene. The unique spiral bound design is perfect for use in the day-to-day tasks involved in collecting evidence in the field. The book covers a wide range of evidence collection and management, including characteristics of different types of crime scenes (arson, burglary, homicide, hit-and-run, forensic IT, sexual assault), how to recover the relevant evidence at the scene, and best practices for the search, gathering, and storing of evidence. It examines in detail the properties of biological/DNA evidence, bullet casings and gunshot residue, explosive and fire debris, fibers and hair, fingerprint, footprint, and tire impression evidence, and much more. This guide is a vital companion for forensic science technicians, crime scene investigators, evidence response teams, and police officers. - Unique Pocket Guide design for field work - Best practice for first evidence responders - Highlights the essentials needed to collect evidence at a crime scene - Focus on evidence handling from documentation to packaging
A revealing guide to a career as a crime scene investigator written by acclaimed journalist Jacqueline Detwiler-George and based on the real-life experiences of the CSI team at the Baltimore police department—required reading for anyone considering a path to this profession. Becoming a Crime Scene Investigator takes you behind the scenes to find out what it’s really like, and what it really takes, to become a crime scene investigator. Acclaimed journalist Jacqueline Detwiler-George shadows the crime scene investigators of the Baltimore Police Department to show how this job becomes a reality. Forensic science is an essential component of any criminal investigation. CSI evidence can tip the scales of justice during trials, helping to free the innocent and convict the guilty. Discover what it’s like to process a crime scene by collecting evidence, documenting via photos, dusting for fingerprints, and analyzing blood spatter. Confront the gruesome realities of the job, tour their in-house crime labs, and watch as they process results. Gain wisdom and insight from the director of the forensic laboratory and the chief of the forensic division—and learn how this essential job is performed at the highest level.
