First Unit Responder: A Guide to Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers

by Mark Hawthorne

"Physical evidence cannot be wrong; it cannot perjure itself; it cannot be wholly absent. Only its interpretation can err. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value."
-Presiding Judge, Harris v U.S., 331 U.S. 145 (1947)

HOW TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE CRIME SCENE WHILE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION

First Unit A Guide to Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers is a training guide and reference for patrol officers and criminal investigators, who conduct preliminary investigations of crime scenes, to aid in identification, collection, and booking of physical evidence. Written by a veteran of 24 years of law enforcement, the book stresses the importance of understanding the critical nature of physical evidence and preservation of the crime scene as part of the case against a criminal defendant. This book is an important tool for police academies that train recruits and veteran patrol officers, as well as for students of criminal justice who seek guidelines for proper collection and handling of physical evidence.

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

My overall impression is, um, duh! Many of the things discussed in the book are things I have been doing for 9 years. There are also some inaccuracies, and things that while perhaps SHOULD be done, aren't in real life. It is an okay overview for cops, and ambulance folk -- but for the CSI it is lacking. Not sure why it is suggested reading for the CSI certification.