NCJ Number
109560
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 36 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1988) Pages: 58-62
Date Published
1988
Length
5 pages
Annotation
In recent years, law enforcement has begun to recognize tracking as a highly specialized skill.
Abstract
In an important legal victory for proponents of tracking, Baker v. Indiana, 1985, a search of subjects found to be wearing shoes that matched the tracks left at a crime scene was considered legal. This ruling and others have given tracking a new credibility. Knowledge of tracking requires becoming conscious of the presence of tracks into and out of a crime scene and avoiding the destruction of evidence underfoot. 'Track' is used to refer to a person's footprint, while 'sign' may be any evidence of a person's passing, i.e. rocks, twigs, leaves, or cigarette butts. An important aid is to know basic human behavior and to find out as much about the person being searched as possible. Even if a quarry proves elusive, much can be inferred from the measurements of stride, straddle, and pitch such as height, physical shape of the person, or whether the person is injured or confused. Since terrain varies geographically, it is important that law enforcement officers learn to track on their own turf. Address for training provided.