1st Edition

First Unit Responder A Guide to Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers

By Mark R. Hawthorne Copyright 1998

    "Physical evidence cannot be wrong; it cannot perjure itself; it cannot be wholly absent. Only its interpretation can err. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value."
    -Presiding Judge, Harris v U.S., 331 U.S. 145 (1947)

    HOW TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE CRIME SCENE WHILE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION

    First Unit Responder: A Guide to Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers is a training guide and reference for patrol officers and criminal investigators, who conduct preliminary investigations of crime scenes, to aid in identification, collection, and booking of physical evidence. Written by a veteran of 24 years of law enforcement, the book stresses the importance of understanding the critical nature of physical evidence and preservation of the crime scene as part of the case against a criminal defendant. This book is an important tool for police academies that train recruits and veteran patrol officers, as well as for students of criminal justice who seek guidelines for proper collection and handling of physical evidence.

    Role of the First Unit Responder
    Defining Physical Evidence
    Importance of Physical Evidence
    Characteristics of Evidence
    Review
    Test Questions and Answers
    The First Unit Responder and the Crime Scene
    "The Process" of Acronym "ARISN" When Handling a Crime Scene
    Maintaining the Integrity of the Scene
    Major/Non-Major Scenes Defined
    Indoor/Outdoor Scenes
    Death Case Observations
    Review
    Test Questions and Answers
    Identifying and Documenting the Evidence
    Categories and Types of Evidence
    Uses of Physical Evidence
    Chain of Custody
    Documenting the Evidence
    Photographs
    Sketches
    Collecting the Evidence
    Most Commonly Encountered Evidence and Packaging
    Clothing, Hair, Fibers
    Firearms
    Bullets and Cartridge Casings
    Gunshot Residue
    Other Weapons
    Questioned Documents
    Money
    Jewelry
    Chemical Evidence
    Suspected Drugs/Narcotics
    Miscellaneous Items
    Latent Fingerprints - A.F.I.S.
    Blood
    Vehicles
    Review
    Test Questions and Answers
    Fingerprints and the Crime
    Victim Interaction
    Categories of Fingerprints
    Latent
    Known
    Plastic
    Patent
    Identifiable vs. Usable Latents
    A.F.I.S. Quality Latents
    Determining Likelihood of the Presence of Latents
    Hand Covering during the Crime
    Point of Entry (POE)
    Latent Fingerprint Collection
    Latent Fingerprint Development Techniques
    Review
    Test Questions and Answers
    Case Preparation/Courtroom Testimony
    Case Review by Officer
    Direct Examination
    A.D.A. Conference
    Rules of Discovery
    Court Attire
    Stages of Court Appearance
    Introduction
    Body/Introduction of Evidence
    DIrect/Cross Examination
    Closing/Rebuttal
    Follow-Up by Officer

    Biography

    Mark R. Hawthorne (San Francisco Police Department (Retired), California, USA) (Author)

    "Mark Hawthorne's easy writing style and use of personal anecdotes make this book a relaxed read. First Unit Responder is a good resource for recruit training or criminal justice/criminology students, or as review material for seasoned investigators."
    -Cpl. Andreas K. Mendel, NCO in Charge, Forensic Identification Section, West Vancouver Police, in Canadian Society of Forensic Science Journal