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Crime Scene Investigator Network

Crime Scene Investigator Network Newsletter

MAY 2013
Welcome to the May 2013 Crime Scene Investigator Network Newsletter


Increasing Crime Scene Integrity
by Creating Multiple Security Levels

Greg Dagnan

I was a newly promoted detective for the Joplin Police Department. I really wanted to learn the ropes quickly, but this not what I had in mind. With 7 homicides in one year, we faced what constituted a crime wave for our small community. I stood in the doorway of one of these murder scenes, the beating death and robbery of a retired gentleman. Inside the house was a badly beaten murder victim; outside the house, but inside the yellow tape was a number of officers that equaled the population of a small city. The Chief was inside for an update, one detective was eating lunch, and a couple of cops were smoking. Officers were standing around talking. Some with only the jokes and usual speculation, but others were having meetings and discussing investigative possibilities. That was standard operating procedure then for Joplin PD, a Police Department of about 70 Officers and 50,000 citizens in Joplin, MO. We often faced big city crime without big city resources. We were seen as a very professional and progressive department, yet such a lack of crime scene integrity was normal operating procedure. Why? Officers were inside the tape to hide from the media, onlookers and curious gore chasers. They were careful not to disturb any obvious evidence, but shouldn't there be a better way to handle large scale scenes? The solution that I now teach to cops and college students is Multi-Level Containment. You may have seen large agencies use this technique, but you may not understand the value for all agencies faced with important crime scenes. Here is how your agency can insure crime scene integrity while conserving manpower and budget dollars:

First level containment: The most basic and superficial containment, this is the crime scene tape that surrounds the crime scene itself. The first level is usually determined by responding patrol officers and perhaps modified slightly after the initial chaos dies or the investigators show up. Properly done, this level of containment surrounds all places where evidence might be, with a bit more for extra insurance. Make sure to remember possible areas of entrance and egress by the suspect as these are the most commonly forgotten when containing a crime scene. Regrettably, first level containment is all the protection most crime scenes get. As illustrated earlier this just doesn't cut it for the big scenes because everyone does everything inside the tape.

Secondary Containment: Though taking security to a higher level, this is not as complicated as it sounds. When crime scene processing officers arrive, they put up a second barrier of crime scene tape that completely surrounds the first level making a buffer zone. The secondary level solves several problems: Officers and Command staff have a place to meet where they cannot be

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*Article submitted by the author

New CSI and Forensic Job Announcements

The most comprehensive listing of Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic
employment opportunities on the internet! We typically have over 300 current listings!

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Police Identification Specialist  |  City of Annapolis Police, Maryland
Final Filing Date: May 14, 2013
Salary: $35,619.00 - 56,991.00 per year
Takes photographs at scenes of major crimes and accidents, and develops negatives; takes and classifies fingerprints of all felons, forwarding one set to the FBI for record purposes and keeping one set for the files of the Department; serves as police photographer and takes photographs of all persons charged with major crimes; processes physical evidence incident to major crimes or accidents for latent fingerprints, foot and tire impressions or other evidence that might be helpful in the investigation of the case; as necessary, transports physical evidence involved in a crime to the FBI laboratory for examination and reports as to its connection with the crime; maintains fingerprint files and all other necessary records; prepares necessary reports for superior and the FBI; maintains mug shot file by identification numbers.
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Crime Scene Investigator I  |  Johnson County Sheriff's Office, Olathe, Kansas
Final Filing Date: May 27, 2013
$38,916.80 to $55,265.60 per year
The major duties of this position include, but are not limited to photography, documentation, collection, and preservation of physical evidence at crime scenes. Other duties may include crime scene reconstruction, bloodstain pattern analysis, latent print processing, chemical testing, preparing written technical reports, and providing effective expert testimony in courts of law.
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Forensic Scientist Supervisor (Digital Evidence)  |  District of Columbia Department of Forensic Science
Final Filing Date: June 20, 2013
Salary: $88,545 - $123,963 per year
Incumbent oversees the strategic, operational, and tactical functions of the Forensic Scientist Digital Evidence Analysis Unit, which is includes advanced and highly specialized computer forensic investigations and analyses, data recovery, and electronic discovery from digital media. Provides ongoing analysis of technology trends to incorporate proven forensic investigation and supporting technologies into practice; and assists with the implementation, evaluation, and interpretation of DFS policies, projects and procedures; and presents ideas and information.
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Forensic Scientist  |  City Of Albuquerque, NM
Final Filing Date: May 10, 2013
Salary: $1,683.20 - $2,216.00 biweekly
Examine, identify, analyze, evaluate and preserve evidence in the investigations of crimes and perform a variety of other technical tasks relative to assigned areas of responsibility.
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Latent Print Examiner  |  Seattle Police Department, Washington
Final Filing Date: May 21, 2013
Salary: $31.16 - $36.30 per hour
Locate, develop, recover and preserve latent impressions on a wide variety of materials and surfaces using physical, chemical, electronic, and optical techniques. Administer infrared, ultraviolet, and other special forensic photographic procedures, including digital imaging devices. Evaluate and enter suitable latent prints into the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) by photographing, determining the minutiae, identifying position, tracing, and inputting the impression. Determine identifications and non-identifications by comparison and verification of each latent print to AFIS candidate lists. Write detailed reports concerning results of analysis. Recover fingerprints, palm prints, and footprints from deceased and decomposed bodies, victims of crime, and potentially violent suspects. Train Identification Technicians in the proper collection, preservation, and documentation of latent print evidence. Provide training to law enforcement personnel concerning the proper collection and preservation of physical evidence. Testify in criminal legal proceedings as needed concerning methods of analysis and results. The expert Latent Print Examiner team is part of the Department's Forensic Support Services including the Identification Unit, Evidence Unit, Photo Lab, and Video Unit.
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Forensic Scientist — Latent Print Examiner  |  DuPage County, Illinois Sheriff's Office
Final Filing Date: May 17, 2013
Salary: $51,599 - $85,997 per year
Conducts processing and preparations of physical evidence suspected of bearing fingerprints; conducts comparisons of questioned or latent fingerprints to known standards. Enters latent prints into an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Serves as an expert in court on all phases of latent print identification; prepares photographs and other material for demonstration of evidence in court.
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New Resources on the Crime Scene Investigator Network

The Biological Evidence Preservation Handbook: Best Practices for Evidence Handlers
National Institute of Standards and Technology, April 2013

The Biological Evidence Preservation Handbook offers guidance for individuals involved in the collection, examination, tracking, packaging, storing, and disposition of biological evidence. This may include crime scene technicians, law enforcement officers, healthcare professionals, forensic scientists, forensic laboratory managers, evidence supervisors, property managers, storage facility personnel, lawyers, testifying experts, court staff members, and anyone else who may come in contact with biological evidence. While many of the recommendations relate to the physical storage, preservation, and tracking of evidence at the storage facility, this handbook also covers the transfer of the material between the storage facility and other locations and discusses how the evidence should be handled at these other locations.
CSI In The News

Nigeria: Presidency Decries Lack of Modern Forensic, DNA Labs for Police
The absence of these facilities, he said, had hampered crime investigations by the police and relevant agencies across the country...
allafrica.com - By Dele Ogbodo and Yemi Akinsuyi - April 23, 2013

Nevada Senate OKs DNA testing upon felony arrest
People arrested on felony charges would provide a DNA sample for a database to check for links to other possible crimes under a billunanimously approved Monday by the Nevada Senate and named in honor of a murdered teen.
San Francisco Chronical - By SANDRA CHEREB - April 22, 2013

DNA Bill heads to Parliament
The Criminal Law (Forensic Procedures) Amendment Bill - also known as the DNA Bill - is on its way to Parliament after being delayed for five years.
Independent Online - By Alison Decker - April 22, 2013

County police set to receive handheld fingerprint ID technology
The Floyd County Commission recently voted to use a $21,000 state grant for four Rapid ID devices.
Rome News-Tribune - by Alan Riquelmy - April 20, 2013

Engineer Working to Put More Science Behind Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
Daniel Attinger paused before handing over a photo of a crime scene. “Are you bothered by the sight of blood?”...
newswise.com - April 18, 2013

Forensic lab solving cold cases could close if federal grants go away
The three people who work every day solely on DNA for old cases are paid through a federal grant and there are no guarantees they’ll be working to solve these cases next year.
KMOV.com - by Lauren Trager - April 17, 2013

County, city team to end court logjam
A deal between Austin and Travis County would help eliminate the long backlog of court cases that are stuck waiting for forensic testing.
KXAN.com - By Chris Sadeghi - April 17, 2013

NIBIN system helps track bullet casings like fingerprints
A computer system that links cartridge casings into a data base is helping law enforcement agencies around the country solve violent crimes.
KVOA.com - by Lupita Murillo - April 15, 2013

Other Resources on the Crime Scene Investigator Network Website
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