At the Crime Scene

Initial Steps

The first officer at the scene is responsible for safeguarding and preserving life and calling for additional resources.
The immediate priority is the welfare of individuals, followed by the preservation of the crime scene.
A cordoned area should be established to prevent unnecessary contamination of the site.
The scene should be photographed as soon as possible in its untouched state.

All objects or areas that could potentially hold evidence must be marked for later examination.
Any collected items must be properly packaged and labelled.
Trace evidence, including soil, hair, and fabric fibres, must be carefully collected.
Evidence should be collected using tools that won’t contaminate the item, such as tweezers, gloves, or paper bags.
Fingerprints and other potentially perishable evidence should be prioritised.
The crime scene must be searched in a systematic way to make sure that no evidence is missed.
Chain of custody starts at the crime scene; every piece of evidence must be documented.

Eye witnesses should be interviewed as soon as possible as memories can fade or change over time.
Statements should be recorded in the witness’s own words.
Any personal body language or emotional responses should be recorded along with the spoken statement.

A crime scene log should be maintained, documenting all personnel who enter and leave the scene.
The progress of the investigation should be continually recorded.
All decisions and actions should be logged to provide a transparent and accountable record of the scene investigation.
A crime scene report should be prepared, detailing the evidence collected and any observations made.

The scene should not be released until all possible evidence has been collected and all investigative leads pursued.
The scene should be left as it was found, as far as possible.
The final decision to release the scene should be made by a senior investigator.