CRIME SCENES MurderSuspicious Deaths The Five Building Blocks

CRIME SCENES Murder/Suspicious Deaths The Five Building Blocks

Scenario - The Thin Blue Line! • YOU ARE IT!

Type of scene? • A man has not been seen by his family for some time. • You attend and force entry. • Body of a male found in a secure flat.

Sudden Death or Criminal Act? IMAGES REMOVED

Apply the five building blocks (Homicide Manual) 1. Preserve Life 2. Preserve Scene(s); (Identify, Secure, Protect) 3. Secure Evidence 4. Identify Victim(s) 5. Identify Suspect(s)

Preserve Life • Establish condition of victim • If there are signs of life; ELS/LAS • Consider your route • Consider your initial entry • Preserve evidence where possible • Wear overshoes. (Then we won’t seize your boots)!

Preserve Scene • If in doubt, investigate as murder until the evidence proves otherwise. • Identify • Secure • Protect

What is a scene ? • • Victim(s) Suspect(s) Witnesse(s) Vehicle(s) Attack Site Deposition Site All routes connecting sites

Identify • The identification of the crime scene is a priority activity. • Look beyond the obvious, as parameters of a scene may well extend beyond where the body is found. • Identification of routes taken to and from the scene by the suspect and victim is of equal importance. • Identification of other crime scenes, where there is more than one.

Secure • Inner cordon must include entry and exit paths potentially used by offender. • It is better to overestimate the size of a cordon and reduce it later. • Commence a crime scene log. • Prevent entry (other than to authorised persons such as the SOCO, SIO and FME). • Ensure that protective clothing is worn by all those who enter the scene.

Protect • First officers on scene must try and prevent: • Movement of exhibits • Evidence being obliterated • Additional material being added • Loss of evidence

Secure Evidence • Focused tasking of officers at the crime scene affords an opportunity to secure material by identifying witnesses and other scenes. This should include: – Obtaining details, descriptions and mobile phone numbers of all persons at the scene; – Identifying witnesses – Recording the index numbers of motor vehicles in the vicinity; – Obtaining descriptions of any vehicles seen to leave the scene; – Seizing any CCTV images that may have recorded relevant events.

Identify Victim(s) • The identification of victims enables investigators to instigate actions which may lead to the early identification of suspects. • No attempt should be made to search the victim’s clothing for identification evidence as this may destroy other physical evidence which could identify the offender. • A record should be made of clothing being worn by the victim together with their physical description.

Identify and Arrest Suspect(s) • Offenders may still be at the scene or may return to it during the initial response. • Avoid cross-contamination. The fact that an arresting officer has been at the scene should be declared to the SIO as soon as possible. • Suspect/s should not be questioned in detail about the incident; anything that they say should be recorded as significant statements.

Equipment to be carried by all operational vehicles • Incident management log • Crime scene cordon logs x 4 • Crime scene cordon tape x 2 • Forensic overshoes x 6 • Latex gloves

Hot Debriefs • To be conducted before officers go off duty. • All actions at the scene by individual officers to be recorded. • EABs, statements to be completed, copies of officers note books to be disclosed. • Book 205 Debrief log to be used.

Always remember the five building blocks 1. Preserve Life 2. Preserve Scene(s); (Identify, Secure, Protect) 3. Secure Evidence 4. Identify Victim(s) 5. Identify Suspect(s)

The End