Maintaining crime scene integrity can be a daunting task for any officer. Depending on the details and severity of a crime not only will our co-workers respond to the scene, but we may also have neighboring jurisdictions, Command Staff, Firefighters/EMS, Coroner’s Staff, and maybe even the Chief, Mayor, or City Council Members. How do we control the flow of traffic in and out of a scene and ensure only the most necessary individuals enter?
One way is to simply state on a log that any persons entering a scene will document the reason for entering, give consent to submit to any request for necessary standards, and write a supplemental report. Such requirements will help maintain scene integrity and discourage any persons without a vital scene function from complicating the job of the Crime Scene Investigators. Here is sample language for a Crime Scene Log, and below is a sample form you are free to copy and use.
All Persons entering the crime scene are required to initial this log and consent to provide exemplars upon the request by the prosecuting attorney. Exemplars may include samples of a person’s hair, blood, fingerprints, shoe prints, clothing, or any other standards reasonably necessary for the purpose of laboratory comparisons. Persons entering the scene will be REQUIRED to submit a supplemental report stating purpose of entry and any actions or services performed.
