Crime Scene and Evidence Handling Procedures

Tarpon Springs Police Department Crime Scene and Evidence Handling Procedures General Order # 290 Effective Date: November 6, 2024 Amends: G.O. #290 3/2021 Chief Jeffrey P. Young 290.01 POLICY The collection of evidence at crime scenes is of the utmost importance to identify the perpetrator and to insure a successful prosecution. All crime scenes should be carefully examined for evidence and the need for crime scene processing. When the examination of the scene indicates that evidence may be recovered, the scene should be processed accordingly. The procedures in this order apply to all personnel responding to and processing a crime scene for any reason. 290.02 PURPOSE This policy is established to inform officers on the proper method of crime scene processing, turning in property or evidence to the evidence technician and to establish procedures for the handling of property or evidence suspected of being biohazardous material. 290.03 PROCE DURE To insure the proper handling of evidence, along with protecting, processing and gathering evidence at crime scenes, the following procedures will be used to protect the Officers, the Department, and the integrity of evidence for criminal proceedings. 290.31 Crime Scene Responsibility: 290.32 Officer Responsibility: The first officer to arrive at a crime scene is responsible for securing the scene to reduce the risk of damage, loss, or movement of evidence. Access to the scene will be restricted to essential persons. Officers will process crime scenes that require minimal latent investigation to include: 290.33 Recording the names of persons who enter or leave the crime scene. The names can be documented in an incident report for crime scenes requiring minimal latent investigation, or in a Crime Scene Log (Form #290.033) for all serious crimes. 290.34 Photographing, diagramming, and sketching the scene, if applicable. 290.35 Protecting, collecting, and preserving the evidence. 290.36 Collecting latent fingerprints. 290.37 Supervisor Responsibility: A supervisor may authorize the call-out of a Crime Scene Technician for major crime scenes, cases of substantial property loss, or when extensive processing is required. The supervisor will request an on duty or on -call technician through the communications center. General Order #290 2 290.38 Crime Scene Technician Responsibility: A Crime Scene Technician will be available twenty four hours a day to be dispatched to a scene. A Crime Scene Technician will respond in an agency -issued vehi cle with equipment necessary to photograph, videotape, sketch a crime scene, recover latent fingerprints, and collect and preserve physical evidence. This equipment includes, but is not limited to: 1. Fingerprint powder, brushes, tape and cards; 2. Cameras and film; 3. Storage containers, paper and plastic bags; 4. Sketch pads, pencils and pens; and, 5. Biohazard containers and labels. 290.04 Crime Scene Photography: 290.41 Photographs: A case officer, supervisor, or Crime Scene Technici an will photograph all signifi cant aspects of a crime scene. The overall crime scene will be photographed to provide a special relationship to individual items photographed. Evidence will not be disturbed or moved until it has been photographed in its original position. 290.42 Digital photographs in mo st cases will be taken by the officer on scene using a department issued cell phone camera. The photos will then be transferred to the Evidence Library software. Some crime scenes may be photographed digitally by CID, THI or crime scene technicians utili zing other digital cameras including but not limited to drones, scanners and stand alone digital cameras. 290.43 Scale Reference: A photography card or ruler will be used to identify an item size, when applicable. If a scale is used, a duplicate photogra ph will be taken without the scale with identical camera position and lighting background. 290.44 Fixed Objects: The dimensions of fixed objects in the photographs will provide a scale reference. 290.45 Photographs should be taken during the preliminary and investigative phases of cases involving homicide, sexual battery, arson, robbery, aggravated assault/battery, domestic violence, child abuse/neglect cases, any death investigation, and any other cases that the officer feels it necessary to. 290.46 Videotapes: Members will record the date, time, location, and case number when evidentiary photographs and videotapes are taken. Videotapes will not be used as the sole method of photographic evidence, but as a supplement to still photographs. Videotapes w ill not include a sound recording, unless it is a video taped interview. A case officer may request, however, to narrate or designate a narrator for the videotape. Completed videotapes will be properly labeled with a barcode and placed into an evidence loc ker. 290.47 Digital evidence recordings.