A Wide Variety of Physical Evidence Can Be Collected At a Scene That Is Deemed Valuable (“Probative”) For Collection And Investigation:
- Biological Evidence (E.G., Blood, Body Fluids, Hair and Other Tissues)
- Latent Print Evidence (E.G., Fingerprints, Palm Prints, Foot Prints)
- Footwear And Tire
- Track Evidence
- Trace Evidence (E.G., Fibers, Soil, Vegetation, Glass Fragments)
- Digital Evidence (E.G., Cell Phone Records, Internet Logs, Email Messages)
- Tool And Tool Mark Evidence
- Drug Evidence
- Firearm Evidence
The Type Of Evidence Collected Will Vary With The Type Of Crime. In The Case Of A Burglary, For Example, It Would Be Common To Perform Tasks In The Order Listed Below. This Will Help Ensure That Evidence Isn’t Inadvertently Damaged Or Destroyed:
- Photograph and Document the Scene
- Collect Trace Materials (Especially From Probable Points of Entry)
- Collect Low-Level DNA Evidence by Swabbing Areas of Likely Contact
- Collect Other Items That May Contain Biological Evidence
- Locate and Collect Latent Fingerprints
