200-word response 1 reference Due 1/6/2024

Puck

At the start of the investigation, the first responding medical personnel call the shots for the newfound crime scene. Their duty is to “provide medical assistance to the victim, which starts with checking for vital signs” (Bell, 2019, p.28). In this scenario, the victim is already declared dead. The homicide detectives should call the shots but allow proper handling for the situation. The command structure definitely changes throughout the investigation depending on what is currently happening. The command structure can depend on if the victim is still alive, if they are already deceased, as well as many other factors. The most important part of discovering a crime scene is to find out if the victim can be helped, if it is too late for the victim, the priority is properly collecting evidence to solve the case. It is very imperative that the evidence is captured correctly and without contamination. There is a whole system that was created for working a crime scene, which includes a proper collection of the available evidence. 

I feel that impression evidence is still very important even though DNA evidence is available now. There are some instances where DNA may not be found, but impression evidence like tire tracks, footwear, or even marks on a shell casing can be present and reveal so much. Having both types of evidence when processing a scene can really benefit the detectives and their investigation. DNA evidence will never be 100% accurate, but it does a very good job identifying criminals. Something that is interesting that involves both impression and DNA evidence is if a suspect decides to wear some type of glove. According to a study, “Gloved hands carry dirt, dust and other materials from elsewhere. They can also contain residues from typical crime scene components such as blood or other body fluids” (Paulis, 2022, p.29). Not only can they include DNA evidence, but they can also leave an impression of the suspect’s hand. Any type of evidence like this that can be found at or near a scene can provide necessary insight into the criminal they are looking for.