Crime Scene
The Laboratory of Forensic Services maintains a team of highly trained staff with expertise in all aspects of recognition, documentation, collection, packaging, and preservation of physical evidence. Three team members are on-call at a time and are able to respond to law enforcement requests for crime scene assistance twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The laboratory provides crime scene services ranging from consultation up to and including processing of entire scenes. A variety of equipment and techniques can be employed depending on the needs of the specific scene. Common requests for assistance include:
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Shooting incident reconstruction, including evaluation and documentation of bullet strikes and trajectories
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Bloodstain pattern documentation, evaluation, and interpretation
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Recognition and documentation of impression evidence, such as shoeprints and tire tracks
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Visualization of latent bloodstains using chemical reagents, such as leucocrystal violet (LCV) and luminol (Bluestar Forensic)
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3D laser scanning to document and image the scene
Even after the team has completed their work at the scene and returned to the laboratory, their work is not finished. Regardless of the nature of the scene or the level of assistance provided, the designated lead responder must prepare a report detailing the activities performed, observations made, and evidence collected at the scene. They also coordinate with law enforcement agencies and staff from the District Attorney’s Office to ensure the appropriate examinations are requested and performed in the proper sequence. Finally, crime scene team members may provide courtroom testimony regarding their activities at the scene.
