Order is Important!

The Order of Your Photos is Important
By: Hilary Rodela, Lead Digital Content Writer for Taction USA

Having worked both active cases as well as cold cases, I can attest that the order of your crime scene photos is extremely important.

When you process a crime scene, your documentation tells a story. This is why when photographing a scene, you start on the outside and work your way in. For instance, if the scene a residence, you would begin with taking a picture of the street sign, then the street itself, the outside of the home, the address number and so on. From there, you would begin to take photos of the house’s interior, again, it is important to do so in order.

This is so important for multiple reasons. One reason is for yourself and the detectives working the case. It is much easier to recall particular details when you have taken your photos in order. Another reason is for the jury. When the case goes to trial, it is far easier for the jury to follow what happened at the crime scene if your photos flow and make sense. Finally, should the case ever grow cold, if your photos are taken well, a detective decades later should be able to pick them up and know
exactly what was where.

Photo logs are also helpful especially if a scene has hundreds upon hundreds of photos. It is a tedious, yet helpful point of reference.

Photos can often be the actual evidence too. For instance, if you find a good, latent fingerprint but cannot lift it due to the delicacy of the print or where it is, you can still “collect” it with a photograph. This is also another example why it is important to document the crime scene and evidence properly and in order. It will help out everyone in the long run!