Policy Text
SACRA MENTO POLI CE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL OR DERS
GO 510.1 1
Page 1 of 4
510.11
DEPLOYMENT OF CSI
01-10-23
PURPOSE
The purpose of this order is to establish guidelines for requesting and dispatching Crime Scene
Investigation (CSI) units.
POLICY
It shall be the policy of the Sacramento Police Depar tment to prioritize CSI responses based on the
type of incident or sever ity of crime .
PROCEDURE
A. GENERAL
1. Officers conducting investigations shall collect items of physical evidence unless CSI is required ,
in which case CSI shall be come re sponsible for collecting evidence. CSI sha ll always collect
evidence on homicides, suspicious deaths, s exual assaults, and serious felonious assaults .
2. When request ing CSI , peace officers and community service officers (CSO s) shall follow the
criteria listed in section C of thi s General Order. Additionally , when a report is to be completed,
peace officers and CSO s shall request a CSI response unde r the following circum stances:
a. Homicide s.
b. Suspicious death s.
c. Fatal motor vehicle collisions .
d. Sexual assault s.
e. Felony Assaults .
f. Felony inves tigation with obvious DNA evidence (e.g., blood , saliva, etc.) .
g. Use of Force investigati ons involving a rep ortable use of force as defined in G.O. 580.02 .
h. Canine bites .
i. Misdemeanor batter ies with visible injury .
j. Situations requ iring the technic al assistan ce of CSI.
3. Requests fo r CSI services shall normally be directed to the Communications Division.
a. Communicatio ns personnel sh all enter a call for each request and assign the call to a CSI
Unit.
(1) Requesting peace officers and CSO s shall provide communications personnel with the
address, details of the CSI request , and indicate if they are going to remain on -scene.
(2) If the request ing peace officer or CSO does not remain o n-scene he or she shall also
provid e communications pers onnel with contact informa tion for the pe rson(s ) (e.g.,
victim, co mplai nant, etc.) with knowledge of the incident who can answer any questi ons
the responding CSI employee may have.
b. The CS I call shall indicate the above information and all of the following:
(1) Location of the crime or area to b e serviced .
(2) Type of crime invo lved.
(3) Date and time of occurrence, if other than present time .
(4) Name of victim, if known.
(5) Report number .
(6) Type of req uest (e.g., fingerp rints, photos, etc.) .
(7) Special requests (e.g., pri nt front door handle , etc.) .
(8) Name and unit ID requestin g servic e.
(9) Suspect name o r descrip tion (if known) and whether a suspect is in c ustody .
(10) Make, model, and license number of involved vehicle(s), when applicab le.
SACRA MENTO POLI CE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL OR DERS
GO 510.1 1
Page 2 of 4
4. CSIs shall include all necessary and a vailable information on the reports, photo en velopes,
and latent cards or envelopes.
B. DISPATCHING CSI
1. CSI shall be dispatched based on the s eriou sness of the cal l, unless there are extenua ting
circumstances that would affect the priority assignment. CSI calls shall be dispatched in the
following orde r of priority :
a. Homicides, possib le homicides, and t hose situations as directed by a super visor.
b. Armed robberie s, shootings, se x crimes, v ehicular manslaughter, felony hit -and-run,
stabbings , and other felonies with serious injuries.
c. Domestic viol ence or c hild ne glect photos (e.g., scene or re sidence, injur ies, etc.).
d. Burglary involving f orcibl e entry to a locked vault or saf e, commercial burglaries , and
residential burglarie s (in tha t order).
e. All other requests for CSI .
2. Extenuating circumstances that coul d alter the o rder of priority of calls include the following :
a. The l ikelihood that evidence will be destroyed or become unavailable if CSI response is
delayed.
b. If the c rime scene is disrupting a business that the owne r wants to reopen .
c. If police units are "standing by" for CSI to process the scene .
d. If the victim is leaving city limits to a loc ation a significant distance away or will be unable
to be conta cted later .
3. If CSI is un able to complete an assigned call due to sub sequently bein g ass igned a higher
priority call, t he CSI unit shall notify a disp atcher so the call can be reass igned.
C. REQUEST ING CSI
1. Armed Robberies – CSI shall b e requested for armed robbery scenes unless ther e is nothing
of evidentiary value (e.g., s uspect wearing g loves, nothing touched, etc.). Note : CSI shall not
process any vehicle taken in the commission