Scribd
Upload
57 views2 pages

First Officer at The Crime Scene

The document outlines the critical responsibilities of the first officer at a crime scene, including assessing the presence of the perpetrator, tending to the injured, and securing the scene. It emphasizes the importance of obtaining consent or a warrant for searches, minimizing contamination, and avoiding unnecessary contact with the scene. Additionally, the officer must identify and warn about any safety hazards present at the scene.

Uploaded by

msaada690
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
57 views2 pages

First Officer at The Crime Scene

The document outlines the critical responsibilities of the first officer at a crime scene, including assessing the presence of the perpetrator, tending to the injured, and securing the scene. It emphasizes the importance of obtaining consent or a warrant for searches, minimizing contamination, and avoiding unnecessary contact with the scene. Additionally, the officer must identify and warn about any safety hazards present at the scene.

Uploaded by

msaada690
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

First Officer at the Crime Scene

Archaeological digs and battlefield reconstructions involve large teams of


searchers
from the very start. In a crime scene search, however, the discovery of the crime
usually results in a police officer being dispatched to the scene. This officer has
several important duties, usually in this order:
1. Ascertain whether the perpetrator is still at the scene: If so, a hot search for
the perpetrator should commence immediately. If this proves futile, later
on, detectives or criminal investigators will likely perform a cold search,
whereby people in the neighborhood are interviewed to determine whether
they saw the crime being committed or saw the perpetrator flee the scene
or observed other suspicious events.

2. Tend to the injured: If an ambulance is needed, it should be called right


away. Waiting can cost lives.
3. Notify supervisors, medical examiner, crime scene team or other personnel:
It will take time for requested personnel to arrive at the location. Once the
team has arrived, the investigation process can commence.
4. Secure consent or a warrant to search the scene: Unless there is an
emergency
situation, such as threats to someone’s life or safety, destruction or
removal of evidence or possible escape of the perpetrator, the officer should
obtain the right to enter a crime scene. According to the fourth amendment
of the U.S. Constitution, in order for the crime scene search to be
constitutional, “consent must be given voluntarily by a person reasonably
believed by law enforcement officers to have lawful access and control over
the premises. In most cases, this will be the person who called police to the
scene”. If consent is not possible, a warrant or judicial order authorizing a
search must be obtained.
5. Secure the scene: Contamination of the scene must be minimized. The
number of people who have access to the scene must be limited and the
entry and exit paths of these personnel should be determined. Initially,
it is advantageous to make the scene perimeter large to prevent loss of
any pertinent evidence. For example, if a crime occurred in a home, consider
the entry and exit of the perpetrator as important and secure the
outside of the home, too. Footprints and tire tracks are just as important
as the physical evidence found inside a residence. If a body is found in
the woods, the potential scene can be quite large and isolating it can be
difficult.
6. Avoid walking through the scene and searching for evidence: Remember
that any contact with a crime scene alters it forever. Searches of even localized
crime scenes must be done by professionals who have formulated a
search plan. In some cases, what appears to be the scene of the crime may
not be. The site may have been set up to look like a crime scene so as to
divert attention from the real scene.
7. Note any obvious safety hazards: Strange smells could be gas or potentially
dangerous chemicals that may pose a fire or poison hazard. Structures may
be weakened or rigged to kill or maim. Electrical wires may be exposed.
The job of the first officer at the scene is not to remediate these hazards
but to protect others from them and to warn personnel who subsequently
come to the scene. The 1991 Universal Studios movie, Backdraft had a
scene that illustrates the situation where a crime scene is rigged to cause
harm to investigators. A fire was set in a building that was then completely
sealed up. When the oxygen became depleted and could no longer support
flames, the fire began to smolder. When the fire department arrived and
broke in to the building, the onrush of oxygen into the building caused
the fire to explode into flame. Firemen were killed and injured. This also
happens in real-life fires and may occur naturally as a fire proceeds.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy