Paper Example on Crime Scene Investigation Training: 1 Week Essential Program

One week training on crime scene investigation is essential for the adequate performance of duties during the process. Members of the scene investigation unit need a proper understanding of protocols and procedures involved. Therefore, the training program will last for one week to enable them to acquire the necessary skills and experience in the field of investigation. The training will be carried out during the morning and afternoon sessions. Day One, training will be conducted communication, human rights, and entering premises.

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There is a need for effective communication for a proper gathering of information. Members need to aware of all human rights to be observed during the process of investigation. Thoughtful ways of entering a premise are essential to avoid tampering with the evidence. Day Two, training will be conducted on emergency life support and officer safety. It is necessary to acquire skills in providing such essential services to the public and also care about your safety.

Day three, members will be trained on the surveillance and management of a crime scene. It involves identifying scene dimensions, establishing security and identifying potential evidence. Day four, training will be conducted on types of evidence and their method of collection. Various kinds of evidence include physical, demonstrative and testimonial evidence. They require effective means of selection for better results. Final, on day five, training will be carried out on methods of data preservation and presentation. For evidence to possible before the court of law, the chain of custody must be maintained. Confidentiality must observe to avoid interfering with the evidence. Enhanced presentation skills will enable easy understanding of the pieces of evidence presented before the juries.

Real evidence contains materials substances involved in a case, things a jury can inspect and hold, and objects during a trial. It includes a gun, DNA, blood samples, a knife, a piece of glass, and fingerprints found in a crime scene (Graham, 2018). It is admitted in a trial since it disproves or proves an issue of concern. It must be material, relevant and authentic to be used at trial. However, testimonial evidence involves an eyewitness providing testament under oath about the facts of the case.

A person getting up on the stand at trial and relates something that they heard or saw, and then it is testimonial indication. Eyewitness accounts provide essential evidence which may lead to the apprehension of a criminal. Therefore, juries are considerably subjective to witness identification. Real evidence set a scene for investigation by proving that illegal activity has occurred. It supports eyewitness testimony or proves it false. In a trial, it may link a suspect with a crime scene or with the victim.

Physical evidence helps to determine the identity of the person associated with the crime. For example, handwriting and fingerprints may prove that a person was present in a crime scene. Reconstruction of a crime scene by investigators is only possible using physical evidence. For example, a blood spatter pattern demonstrates where the victim and the suspect were located relative to each other and shows what occurred and in what order.

Demonstrative evidence contains physical objects, graphs, pictures, models and blow-ups of documents intended to clarify facts during the trial (Graham, 2018). It may provide medical problems, actual images and methods used in committing an alleged crime. Therefore, it assists in understanding and retention of the evidence presented before the juries. It is a useful tool in organizing information and educates a panel of non-experts.

Direct evidence involves a witness giving testimony concerning their immediate remembrance of events. It includes what they heard, saw or observed with their senses. How much they are believed is determined by the fact finder. For example, if a brother comes and tells you that he saw it snows, that is a direct indication that it was snowing. Therefore, it does not require any thinking to conclude. Whereas, circumstantial evidence occurs when a fact intended to be proved cannot be passed directly by a witness.

However, the witness presents proof of other points that based on a reasonable interference would make the fact-finder agree with the projected point to be proved. It is considered weaker than a direct case; however, circumstantial evidence can still be used to prove a case (Hamilton, 2016). If your friend, for example, tells you she wakes up and has seen snow on the ground, it is a predictive proof that it has snowed.

Circumstantial evidence requires inference or some reasoning. However, in many situations, more than one piece of it may be used to draw the jury to a specific conclusion. The value of circumstantial evidence is just the same compared to that of direct evidence (Hamilton, 2016). Being weaker is a dangerous assumption made by people. There is no snow on the ground when you go to sleep at night. In the morning, you find snowfall on the ground.

However, you did not see it directly but centered on the situations and knowledge, and you conclude that it hailed. It is evident that it snowed, depending on the snow on the ground. Therefore, the conclusion made using circumstantial evidence must be natural and reasonable. It must be based on fact finders common sense and experience in life.

References

Graham, M. H. (2018). Authentication Generally: Chain of Custody, Electronic Communications.

Hamilton, S., Majury, D., Moore, D., Sargent, N., & Wilke, C. (2016). What it's like: demonstrative evidence of subjective experience. In Sensing Law (pp. 43-62). Routledge.