Introduction and Use of This Text List of Contributors About the companion website Part I Crime Scene Principles by Raul Sutton 1. Chapter 1 The Crime Scene Context by Raul Sutton 1.1 Introduction 1.2 What is a crime? 1.3 The nature of the UK legal system 1.4 The Legal System in England and Wales 1.5 Other Courts 1.6 The Judicial System in Northern Ireland 1.7 The Scottish Legal System 1.8 Judicial processes that deal with causes of death 1.9 What constitutes evidence? 1.10 The chain of events in evidence gathering 1.11 The relationship between evidence gatherers and analysts 1.12 Health and Safety Considerations 1.13 Suggested Further Reading 2. The first officer attending by Keith Trueman and Chris Moran 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Response to Incident Reporting 2.3 Personnel Involved in the Investigative Process 2.4 Recording and Recovery of Scientific Evidence 2.5 Initial Considerations of the First Officer Attending (FOA) 2.6 Dealing with the victim 2.7 Dealing with Witnesses 2.8 Dealing with Suspects 2.9 Dealing with the Crime Scene(s) 2.10 Documentation 2.11 Dealing with Violent Crime 2.12 Summary and Conclusion 2.13 Self Assessed Questions 3. The Role of the Crime Scene Investigator: Keith Trueman and Chris Moran 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Training the CSI 3.3 The Responsibilities of a CSI 3.4 Forensic Evidence 3.5 Request for CSI attendance at crime scenes 3.6 Actions when attending the crime scene 3.7 Initial Scene Assessment (Including Health and Safety) 3.8 Planning Evidence Recovery 3.9 Record the Evidence 3.10 The elimination process 3.11 Details of Evidence Recovered 3.12 Integrity, Continuity and Contamination 3.13 Packaging Materials 3.14 Conclusion 3.15 Self assessed questions Part II Evidence gathering techniques 4. Police photography, video recording, 3D laser scanning Chris Crowe and Chris Moran 4.1 Introduction 4.2 General Guidelines 4.3 Equipment 4.4 Exposure 4.5 Image quality/size 4.6 Depth of field 4.7 White balance 4.8 Image data 4.9 Flash photography 4.10 Room interiors 4.11 Vehicles 4.12 Evidential items 4.13 Recording injuries to the person 4.14 Night Photography 4.15 Footwear impressions 4.16 Fingerprints 4.17 Recording video evidence at crime scenes 4.18 The use of digital images in court 4.19 3D laser scanning of scenes Suggested further reading 5. Fingerprints by Dave Charlton 5.1 Introduction 5.2 The Nature of Friction ridge skin 5.3 The structure of friction ridge skin 5.4 Friction ridge growth 5.5 Principles of Friction Ridge Identification 5.6 Comparison Methodology 5.7 Chemical composition of latent prints 5.8 Identification of common locations for prints 5.9 The use of powdering techniques to enhance latent finger marks 5.10 Chemical Development Techniques 5.11 Laboratory and Scene Applications 5.12 Fingerprints in Bodily Fluids 5.13 Scenes of Fire: 5.14 Optical methods to reveal fingerprints (laser and other light sources) 5.15 New and Emerging Techniques: 5.16 Remote Transmission 5.17 Chapter Summary 5.18 Acknowledgements 5.19 Selected Further Reading 6. DNA-rich evidence by Terry Bartlett and Sara Short 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Historical background 6.2 The structure and properties of DNA 6.3 DNA analysis 6.4 Types of DNA testing 6.4.1 Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) based techniques. 6.4.2 Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based techniques. 6.4.3 The National DNA Database 6.4.4 Mitochondrial DNA analysis 6.5 Biological evidence 6.6 Procedures for collection of biological evidence: General considerations 6.6.1 Health and safety considerations 6.6.2 Protection of scene of crime 6.6.3 Contamination 6.6.4 Minimising contamination of potential sources of DNA 6.6.5 Sample collection and storage 6.6.6 Collection of blood evidence 6.6.7 Presumptive testing for blood 6.6.8 Evidence collection and storage 6.6.9 Semen samples 6.6.10 Presumptive testing for semen 6.6.11 Evidence collection and storage 6.6.12 Saliva samples 6.6.13 Presumptive testing for saliva 6.6.14 Evidence collection and storage 6.6.15 Faecal samples 6.6.16 Evidence collection and storage 6.6.17 Other biological evidence 6.6.18 Sources of DNA: Limitations 6.7 Limitations of DNA evidence 6.8 Elimination and reference samples 6.9 Summary 6.10 References 7. Blood Pattern Analysis Raul Sutton and Terry Bartlett 7.1 Introduction 7.2 History of the development of blood spatter as a scientific discipline 7.3 Composition of blood 7.4 Physical Properties of blood 7.5 Causes of bleeding 7.6 Blood dynamics 7.7 Drop-surface impact and droplet pattern 7.8 Determination of area of origin of spatter 7.9 Cast-off patterns 7.10 Arterial damage patterns 7.11 Non-spatter patterns 7.12 Physiologically altered blood stains (PABS) 7.13 Volume blood stains 7.14 Composite patterns 7.15 Investigative transfer and contamination issues 7.16 Recording traces 7.17 Summary 7.18 Suggested Further reading 8. Physical Evidence Prof Craig D Williams 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Tool marks 8.3 Clothing 8.4 Fibres 8.5 Footwear Impressions 8.6 Glass Fragments 8.7 Glass Fragmentation 8.8 Soils 8.9 Firearms 8.10 Scene recovery of firearms 8.11 Gunshot Residues (GSR) 8.12 Drugs of abuse (DOA) 8.13 The crime scene characteristics of various DOA s 8.14 Presumptive Tests for Drugs 8.15 Amateur Explosives 8.16 Summary Part III Specialised Scenes and Report Writing 9. Scenes of fire examination Chris Perry and Mark McCabe 9.1 Introduction 9.2 The Nature of Fire 9.3 The Oxygen Demand of Fuels 9.4 Flame and fire classifications 9.5 Types of Evidence Specific to Fire Scenes 9.6 Locating the Seat of the Fire 9.7 Evidence Gathering Methods 9.8 Methods for Ascertaining Whether a Crime Has Been Committed 9.9 Health and Safety Considerations 9.10 Summary 10. Examination of Recovered Stolen Motor Vehicles. By Keith Trueman 10.1 Introduction 10.2 What is a Motor Vehicle? 10.3 The definition of an Auto Crime? 10.4 Auto Crime Scene Examinations 10.5 Requests to attend an Auto Crime scene 10.6 The Examination Process 10.7 Conclusion 11 Managing Complex Scenes and Multiple or Mass Fatality Scenes Chris Moran and Derek Forest (OBE) 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Self briefing 11.3 Communication 11.4 Establishing priorities 11.5 Avoidance of Contamination 11.6 The Forensic Strategy 11.6.1 Streamlined Forensic Reporting 11.7 Defence case review meeting 11.8 Incident debrief 11.9 Introduction to Mass fatality Incidents 11.10 The range and nature of mass fatality incidents 11.11 The type of investigation conducted 11.12 Sequence of events in Managing DVI scenes 11.13 Recovery of mortal remains 11.15 Recommended further reading: Chapter 12. Preparing Reports and Statements by Keith Trueman 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Documentation at the Crime Scene. 12.3 Photography 12.4 Plans, Sketches and Diagrams 12.5 The Exhibit Label 12.6 Handling the Evidence 12.7 Self assessed questions: 12.8 Statements of Evidence 12.9 Criminal Justice Act 1967 Section 9 12.10 Crime Scene Examination Statements 12.11 Conclusion 12.12 Self assessed questions: 13 Quality Assurance in Crime Scene Investigation by Chris Moran 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Informal aspects of quality assurance 13.3 The development of formal quality assurance 13.3 The role of the Forensic Science Regulator 13.5 Responsibility for measuring quality assurance 13.6 The accreditation process 13.7 Organisational requirements for accreditation 13.8 Personnel requirements for accreditation 13.9 Resource requirements for accreditation 13.10 Process requirements for accreditation 13.11 Management requirements for accreditation 13.12 Maintaining accreditation Appendices