NCJ Number
188319
Editor(s)
Colleen Wade
Date Published
1999
Length
154 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this handbook is to provide guidance and procedures for safe and efficient methods of collecting and preserving evidence and to describe the forensic examinations performed by the FBI Laboratory.
Abstract
The introduction briefly describes FBI Laboratory services, noting that the Laboratory accepts only evidence related to violent crime investigations from State and local law enforcement agencies. The section on "Evidence Submission" describes procedures for requesting Laboratory evidence examinations, as well as the packaging and shipping of various types of evidence to the Laboratory. The section on "Evidence Examinations" identifies the types of examinations the Laboratory conducts for 35 varieties of evidence and offers suggestions for collecting such evidence and packaging and shipping it to the Laboratory. A section on "Crime Scene Safety" discusses the hazards, safety precautions, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment recommended for personnel who process routine crime scenes. "Crime Scene Search" is discussed in another section of the handbook. It addresses preparation; approach; securing and protecting the crime scene; a preliminary survey; the evaluation of physical evidence possibilities; construction of a crime narrative; photography; sketch; crime scene search, record, and physical evidence collection; final survey; and release of the crime scene. Subject index