Linking Your Case Together With Evidence

By: Hilary Rodela, Lead Digital Content Writer for Taction USA

Every aspect of a case is important. From the first responding officer’s statement to the lab analysis report, and all areas in between. It is important to remember this often. It can be very easy, no matter what your role is to get caught up in your part of the investigation. For example, the first responding Officer, may be focused on initial statements, the Crime Scene Investigator may be focused solely on evidence, and the Detective may be focused on other aspects of the case. Each of these is important, but separately, none of them make a case. This is why it is crucial to work together in order to make good leads, great.

Especially when it comes to processing, documenting, and collecting evidence it can be easy to slip into tunnel vision and be only focused on the task at hand. While this is good in the aspect of finding every little detail at a scene, it is important to remember the big picture as well. The chain of custody should also serve as your chain of thought. The scene and evidence begins with the first responding officer. They may notice evidence here and there that is important to witness statements. Once they relate those details to the Detective and CSI, it is up to them to determine what evidence fits the story told. With that being said, it is crucial to remember to avoid going into a scene with bias. Though it is good to have an idea of what you are looking for, let the evidence speak to you and let it tell you what happened. From there, the evidence goes to the lab for analysis and in the meantime the detective continues to follow up.

Each of these steps make a case and in order to pursue charges should that be the case, every role is needed. A jury needs to be told an accurate depiction of what is found. If there are any loose ends or any questions that do not have answers, a case suffers. The way a scene is approached in the beginning effects how it will turn out in the end. Remember to stay focused, and do not lose sight of what is true and accurate. When you work together, the case will often come together.