
The lab personnel started into the scene and took only a few photos before they were then removed from the scene so that police captains could “evaluate the scene.” An hour later, they re-entered the scene, but again only for a few photos.

The crime lab shared the same building and was at the crime scene with the homicide investigators within 10 minutes of the shooting. Rich Stanek said there still may be times when people will be allowed behind crime tape.Īlthough administrators may think that there are legitimate reasons for passing unchecked into or through the tape when one is not directly involved in the processing effort, this is entirely mistaken and can add to the evidence or even obliterate it.Īnother example taken from one of the author's case files (Chisum) includes the following: A major West Coast city department had three employees (supervisors) shot by an employee who had “gone postal.” The shooter was arrested at the scene, so there was no question about the identity of the perpetrator. He told attendees that police officials have already addressed internally the issues Berry raised. Lee Edwards, head of the homicide unit, said at Wednesday's meeting that the scene was not contaminated, but he did cite other sites that hadn't been properly secured.

Some of them stood beside Police Chief Bill McManus behind the crime scene tape as he answered questions from reporters. Several community leaders were seen walking around the crime scene that stretched for blocks more than an hour after the shooting occurred at 3010 Penn Av. Some of them were flat out ignored when they inquired about a person's presence inside the perimeter,” Berry said in the e-mail. “The officers do not know who should or should not be allowed inside these scenes. He said one woman was “confidently walking beyond the crime scene tape, as a number of others had, then passed by an officer and into a door leading into the restaurant from the south side.”īerry said officers were hesitant to question those entering the site because they were concerned about creating controversy. In his e-mail, Berry said “people moved freely” and could have destroyed evidence. PCRC member Ron Edwards said the e-mail suggested that the crime scene may have been contaminated by unauthorized people. Robert Berry sent to police administration and Fourth Precinct supervisors relating his concerns about the crime scene following the March 4 fatal shootings of Frank Haynes, 21, and Raliegh Robinson, 68, both of Minneapolis. Members of the Police Community Relations Council (PCRC) were given copies of the e-mail that Sgt. 1B):Ī Minneapolis police sergeant sent an e-mail to his supervisors questioning why nonpolice personnel were walking around a taped-off crime scene where two men were shot to death in a north Minneapolis restaurant nearly two weeks ago. In one case, a Minneapolis police sergeant became so disturbed by the lack of security at a double homicide scene that he wrote e-mail to his supervisors to make an official record of his concern ( Chanen and Collins, 2005, p. However, gentle reminders may not be enough.

5.Īn approach to casework in accordance with objective forensic examination and interpretation, as opposed to a pro-law enforcement or pro-victim mindset.

4.Īdvanced study of, and a working knowledge of, the methods, procedures, and requirements of a criminal investigation. 3.Īdvanced study of, and a working knowledge of, the published literature in the forensic sciences, specifically those related to evidence analysis and crime reconstruction. 2.Īdvanced study of, and a working knowledge of, the published victimology and criminal profiling literature, to include the areas of behavioral evidence analysis, criminal investigative analysis, and investigative psychology-including the limitations and weaknesses of each.
#Elucidate police professional#
These programs should be considered essentially worthless, as they are designed for professional advancement and resume enhancement as opposed to the discovery of knowledge and actual learning. It should be noted that there are some online university programs that offer graduate degrees in behavioral science-related areas, without an undergraduate degree requirement, without a thesis requirement, and without actual class time. This criterion disqualifies those with undergraduate degrees in unrelated areas such as music, police administration, public administration, and education. Graduate-level education in these areas is preferable. Consequently, any purported expert in the area of forensic victimology should satisfy at least the following minimum criteria: 1.Īt least an undergraduate education in a behavioral science (psychology, sociology, social work, criminology, etc.).
