Crime scene management – the steps to follow
Security company said at some time or another, you could be either a victim of a crime or a witness to a crime. Here are seven steps to follow ...
Looking at the most recent crime statistics, with Gauteng topping the country’s list for the number of contact crimes, there is a real probability that at some time or another, you could be either a victim of a crime or a witness to a crime, said security company Fidelity ADT.
A crime scene is said to be any event or incident which one would report to the police and ranges from a break-in at your home, to a mall robbery, to a shooting at a petrol station.
Linda Goodenough, Community Development Manager for Fidelity ADT, said knowledge is king and we all have a duty to behave in a certain manner.
The more information and knowledge one can give the police, the better,” she said.
At a crime scene, every bit of evidence counts and every bit of contact with that scene leaves a trace. She said the biggest challenge is to minimise that trace.
Here are seven key steps to follow:
• Notify your closest police station and security provider – This is the very first step and if necessary, request back-up medical support if anyone is injured.
• Observation during incident – If you are on the scene first, do not allow anyone to go near the area until the correct officials arrive. Remember – the suspect/ s could still be at the scene and you need to be very careful. Nothing should be moved.
• Taking care of the injured – This takes preference over all activities, with due consideration of the integrity of physical evidence. Treating the injured is more important. If the injured person can be moved safely or can move themselves, he or she should be moved to a designated area away from the crime scene, after marking and noting the positions in which he or she was found.
• Secure the crime scene – You need to limit access to, and movement from the scene. You can secure the scene by moving all bystanders to a designated area and locking the door, gate or other entrance to the scene. If this is not possible, try to cordon off the area in some way.
The only people who should actually move onto a crime scene are the official police forensic team, and they can be identified by their red armbands. If it is absolutely necessary for someone to go onto the scene, the person’s full particulars and reason for entry must be noted.
If the route used by the perpetrator to get to and from the scene is known, alternative access routes to the scene need to be identified for use by emergency personnel and the police
• Dealing with witnesses – Every person present at, or in the vicinity of, the scene is a potential witness, but not everyone wants to be a witness. Witnesses should be asked not to leave the scene without taking down their full particulars or submitting statements first. They should be encouraged not to discuss the incident among themselves as this could influence their recall.
The reality is that if a witness doesn’t want to be involved, you must respect that person’s rights. You cannot force them to stay or give their names.
Fear prevents witnesses from being witnesses.”
• Dealing with suspects – One’s personal safety should always be one’s primary concern. In the event of a citizen’s arrest, the perpetrators must be removed from the scene and secured. Contact between the perpetrators and the witnesses or victims must be avoided and this step needs the support of the police.
• Dealing with evidence – Finally it is important to understand how to deal with evidence. You are not allowed to take photos – the Defence will rule that out. Only official CSI photographs will be allowed. If there is CCTV footage from a scene, it must be brought into the police station or handed over as a disk. Do not touch or remove evidence at all – and protect all possible evidentiary matter. The second rule is to only remove evidence matter in order to protect it against damage or contamination. If evidence is moved, the location must be pointed out to the police so that the evidence can be collected later.
“Forensic work is highly detailed and often it is the small details one would never pick up with the naked eye that are invaluable clues. These should never be tampered with and sadly many cases are thrown out of court as people do not realise they have not followed the right procedures. Remember, every person can play an invaluable role in ensuring criminals are put behind bars,” she concluded.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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