Crime Scene Investigation

 

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND RECONSTRUCTION

Accident Reconstruction and Investigation Resources
http://www.nlada.org/forensics/for_lib/Documents/1120063567.15/index.html
Links to associations, software, discussion groups, training courses, research, and more.

The ARC Network
http://www.accidentreconstruction.com/
The  Accident Reconstruction Network is the largest Internet portal web site for the industry of accident reconstruction and traffic accident investigation. This web site provides research, news, expert discussion, events, products and services, expert witness directory, book store, education services directory, and police department directory.

Articles Related to Accident Investigation
http://www.pimall.com/nais/n.acc.html
Articles on Skid Mark Analysis, General Aspects of Forensic Lamp Examinations for Private Investigators, and more.

Traffic Accident Reconstruction
http://www.tarorigin.com/lib.html
A reference of library of articles on the subject. It’s quite technical, but you can read about “Temporary Brake Failure, It is Possible?,” “Torque and Horsepower - A Primer,” and “Estimating Vault Distance and Speed After a Motorcyclist or Bicyclist Ejection.”


CRIME SCENE PROCEDURES, GENERAL
 

A Forensic Science Guide to Crime Scene Investigation

https://aizmanlaw.com/forensic-science-guide-crime-scene-investigation/

Various resource links

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California Criminalistics Institute
http://ag.ca.gov/cci/reference/reference.php
This site includes physical evidence bulletins in PDF or Microsoft Word formats on subjects such as "Urine as a Sample for Alcohol Determination” and “Collection of Paint Fragments.”

Crime and Clues
http://www.crimeandclues.com
Lots of articles on crime scene investigation, physical evidence and more, including such topics as “Bite Mark Analysis” and “Ear Identification.”

Crime Scene Investigation
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/
A wonderful resource with tons of useful information and articles from experts in the field on topics related to crime scene investigation. It starts with crime scene response guidelines (personnel, documentation and moves on to evidence collection (fingerprints, footwear, tires, DNA, photography/video, etc), and also includes links to colleges and training, crime scene vendors and organizations, and concludes with “The Most Complete Listing of Forensic Books on the Internet.”

Crime Scene Investigations
http://www.feinc.net/cs-inv-p.htm
A site put together by Senior Crime Scene Analyst Hayden B. Baldwin with articles and links on crime scene units and protocol.

Crime Scene Measurement
http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/faculty/nute/CSmeasurement.html
From the FSU Criminology Department, this page provides the three basic techniques for making horizontal &/or vertical measurements at a scene: triangulation, polar coordinates and rectangular coordinates.

Criminalistics.US
http://www.criminalistics.us/Interest.html
A site by Harold W. Ruslander, Forensic Supervisor, Palm Beach County Medical Examiners Office, and Former Crime Scene Investigator, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Includes articles on “A Crime Scene Defined,” “Latent Prints Processing Tips,” “Using Gun Bluing to Obtain Fingerprints on Cartridge Casings,” “The Five Most Destructive Elements to a Crime Scene,” and more.

Evidence Magazine
http://www.evidencemagazine.com/
Evidence Technology Magazine is published for the crime-scene investigation units of law-enforcement agencies. Although the print magazine isn’t offered online, the site does have a directory of vendors for evidence technology and professional links. You can also order back issues of the magazine.

International Crime Scene Investigators Association
http://www.icsia.org/
http://www.icsia.org/FCSI/ReminderCard.pdf
Has information on how to become a CSI and useful links, plus a PDF crime scene checklist.

National Crime Investigation and Training
http://www.ncit.com/
The NCIT offers training courses in the field, but if you can’t take those, they have a few articles on their web site in the “Tips and Tricks” section on topics such as collecting bullet casings, ricochet off glass, crime scene sketching, revolver rotation, packaging a revolver, etc.

NEIAI
http://www.neiai.org/
This site is from the Nebraska chapter of the International Association for Identification. There are several articles on crime scene evidence and also two powerpoint presentations on “Crime Scene Investigation Protocol” and “Crime Scene Reconstruction.”

US Department of Justice Electronic Crime Scene Investigation
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/187736.pdf
A guide for first responders


EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS

Accident Reconstruction and Investigation Tools
http://www.lawyersandjudges.com/showproducts.cfm?Step=1&FullCat=97
An online store of tools for use in such investigations, including sun-moon positioning software, investigator template, speed and stopping distance calculator, rolatape, and more.

Crime Scene
http://www.crime-scene.com/
The web site for Arrowhead Forensics, a company which supplies crime scene and forensic tools to law enforcement agencies, from Pelican protector cases to Master Fingerprint Kits.

CrimeTech, Inc.
http://www.crimetech.net
An array of crime scene, forensics and law enforcement products - lighting, evidence packaging, scene screens, photographic scales and more - used by the police, FBI, military and more.

CSI Gizmos and Gadgets
http://www.csigizmos.com/products.html
A listing compiled by retired crime scene supervisor Richard Warrington of products used on crime scenes that are “useful, cost effective and make the job of crime scene investigation easier.” They include things like hemastix and integri swabs for blood detection, PathFinder and Stati-Lifter for lifting prints, and other gadgets used in evidence collection.

Evident Crime Scene Products
http://www.evidentcrimescene.com/
Just about everything a crime scene investigator will need on the job from body bags to glue fuming supplies

Lynn Peavey Company
http://www.lynnpeavey.com/
The Peavy Company provides crime scene equipment for police and law enforcement. If you want dual-use magnetic powder, blood spatter heads, or arson bags, you’ll find it here.


PHOTOGRAPHY

Crime Scene and Evidence Photography
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/csi-photo.html
Links to articles and checklists

Crime Scene Imaging Techniques
http://www.policeone.com/police-products/investigation/articles/86103-Crime-scene-imaging-techniques/

Crime Scene Photography: Capturing the Scene
http://www.forensicmag.com/articles/2009/08/crime-scene-photography-capturing-scene
From Forensic Magazine

How Crime Scene Photography Works:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/crime-scene-photography.htm
A nice overview.


SKETCHING

Crime Scene Sketching
http://www.feinc.net/sketch.htm
A brief overview, with links to software

Crime Scene Sketching:  An Example
http://www.ncit.com/Tips___Tricks/Sketching/sketching.html
Example of a measurement table that might be used in a crime scene