Homework
Crime scene management skills are an extremely important component of an investigation because evidence that originates at the crime scene will provide a picture of events for the court to consider in its deliberations. Locard's exchange principle argues that during the commission of a crime, evidence transfer occurs between the victim, suspect, and scene. In this paper, you will identify the key elements of crime scene management, the function served by each, as well as repercussions of allowing a scene to become contaminated or not establishing a solid chain of custody. Support your paper with examples from this week's required material(s) and/or a minimum of three other scholarly or credible resources and properly cite any references.
Prior to beginning work on this homework, please review the following:
1) From the text:
• Chapter 3: Digital Forensics
• Chapter 6: Trace and Materials Evidence
2) From the free, downloadable resource at the web page Crime Scene Investigation Guide: Section C: Processing the Scene
3) From the free PDF copy at the web page Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward (2009) : Chapter 5: Descriptions of Some Forensic Science Disciplines
4) The video Evidence and Forensics: Due Process
5) From the video Forensic Science in Action: From Crime Scene to Courtroom:
• Segment 1. Discovery of a Crime Scene 03:45
• Segment 2. Crime Scene: Evidence Collection 03:03
• Segment 3. Gathering and Documenting Evidence at the Crime Scene 01:47
You are also strongly encouraged to review the recommended resources, as they will help you explore the different types of evidence, as well as proper packaging and processing.
In your paper, address the following:
1) Explain why it is important to secure the crime scene and provide examples.
2) Identify possible ways that evidence might be contaminated.
3) Identify different methods that might be necessary to document evidence at a crime scene.
4) Identify different collection methods that might be used at a crime scene.
5) Explain chain of custody and why it is important.
6) Identify the repercussions of failure to protect evidence or establish chain of custody.
7) Explain how an investigator or forensic expert differentiates between what is or is not evidence.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
(1) The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
(2) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
(3) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.