By: Hilary Rodela, Lead Digital Content Writer for Taction USA
We are all constantly learning all of the time. This is especially true for those in crime scene and law enforcement fields. Every call a law enforcement officer responds to is different as is every crime scene. There may be similarities or a situation or case may remind an investigator of another one they have been to, but the majority of the time, there are going to be several differences.
Aside from actual processing protocols, you should not treat every crime scene in exactly the same way. This means each and every scene you attend should be viewed as completely new. It is easy especially if an investigator works in a large department to become complacent with their thinking. Complacency and repetition does not help anyone, in particular the victim of the crime. It is important to constantly think outside of the box.
When you work a scene, you always have someone with you. Investigators should bounce ideas off of one another and should consider how their co-worker views certain attributes of the scene. The more open and receptive an investigator is to the opinion of another individual, the more they will learn and the better they will become at their job.
Everyone thinks, learns, and processes information differently. This is important to remember on a daily basis, and particularly in this line of work. Taking into consideration other people’s ideas can vastly expand your reach at a crime scene and may provide the investigator with additional leads.