NCJ Number
147431
Date Published
1974
Length
46 pages
Annotation
The role of criminalistics, the scientific study of physical evidence in criminal matters is discussed.
Abstract
Chapter 1 recounts the history of the profession. Chapter 2 presents background information on criminalistics, its goals, missions, and standard operations procedures. Data are presented that describe the low frequency of criminalistics laboratory involvement in criminal cases, the high proportion of drug-related evidence being analyzed, and the minimal participation of laboratory scientists at crime scenes and in training other police investigators evidence retrieval techniques. Chapter 3 depicts the stages of the criminalistics procedure from police response to laboratory analysis. Chapter 4 examines the role of the evidence technician, and describes the types and proportions of crimes they respond to, and their success rate. Chapter 5 includes case studies, as well as an account of the routines that characterize the technicians' tour of duty. Chapter 6 contains recommendations on some basic scientific, social, and legal issues that arise during the course of criminalistics investigations. Appendix, 1 figure, 2 tables, footnotes, 105 references