Purpose of CSI

The goals and objectives of a crime scene investigations unit are the collection, preservation,
packaging, transportation, and documentation of physical evidence left at the crime scene so that
it may be used in legal proceedings in the administration of justice.

Team members involved in CSI and their functions

The number and type of professional(s) responsible for investigating a scene and collecting
evidence largely depends on the type of crime and the resources of the law enforcement agency.
Larger agencies often have dedicated, highly trained crime scene specialists, while smaller
agencies may require that first responders or detectives process the scene in addition to their
other duties.

In many instances, a case will be investigated by a detective who is responsible for interviewing
persons of interest and victims, pursuing leads and piecing together the information that is
developed from the materials collected at the scene. The detective works in tandem with a team
of crime scene personnel who search the scene and collect the evidence. The crime scene
investigation team may consist of crime scene photographers and evidence collection personnel
specializing in gathering specific evidence such as latent prints, DNA, trace evidence and the
like.

In the United States, there are no national requirements that must be met to serve as a crime
scene investigator; however, investigators can achieve four levels of certification through the
International Association for Identification (IAI) that demonstrate their proficiency:
 Certified Crime Scene Investigator
 Certified Crime Scene Analyst
 Certified Crime Scene Reconstructionist
 Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst

Other certifications commonly achieved include the Evidence Photographer Certification from
the Evidence Photographers International Council, Inc. and Board Certified Medicolegal Death
Investigator of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI).

Principles and methods of handling evidence at the crime scene

One of the most important aspects of securing the crime scene is to preserve the scene with
minimal contamination and disturbance of physical evidence. The initial response to an incident
shall be expeditious and methodical. Upon arrival, the officer(s) shall assess the scene and treat
the incident as a crime scene.

Controlling, identifying, and removing persons at the crime scene and limiting the number of
persons who enter the crime scene and the movement of such persons is an important function of
the initial responding officer(s) in protecting the crime scene.

Proper documentation, collection, preservation and storage, of physical evidence

The ff. are the different ways for the proper documentation, collection, preservation and storage,
of physical evidence:
a. Maintain scene security throughout processing and until the scene is released.
b. Document the collection of evidence by recording its location at the scene, date of
collection, and who collected it.
c. Collect each item identified as evidence.
d. Establish chain of custody.
e. Obtain standard/reference samples from the scene.
f. Obtain control samples.
g. Consider obtaining elimination samples.
h. Immediately secure electronically recorded evidence (e.g., answering machine tapes,
surveillance camera videotapes, computers) from the vicinity.
i. Identify and secure evidence in containers (e.g., label, date, initial container) at the
crime scene. Different types of evidence require different containers (e.g., porous ,
nonporous , crushproof).
j. Package items to avoid contamination and cross-contamination.
k. Document the condition of firearms/weapons prior to rendering them safe for
transportation and submission.
l. Avoid excessive handling of evidence after it is collected.
m. Maintain evidence at the scene in a manner designed to diminish degradation or loss.
n. Transport and submit evidence items for secure storage.