Physical evidence is anything that can establish a crime has happened and anything that links the crime and the criminal.
-weapons, fibers, hairs
-law enforcement can collect it from the crime scene, the bodies of individuals and other places
Crime scene-place where a crime occurred
First responder-first person who arrives at the scene and it is their responsibility to care for any injured individuals that may be present and arrest the perpetrator if the person is still on the scene.
Its important to keep the crime scene isolated and any unauthorized individuals away because they have the potential for contaminating or destroying evidence.
The area secured around the crime scene will typically be made larger than the actual crime scene, it may be reduced later.
To record the crime scene- photography, drawings, note taking and videography
1.What is physical evidence? Provide at least three examples in your answer.
Physical evidence is anything that can establish a crime has happened and anything that links the crime to the criminal, for example, any weapons, fibers or hairs found at the scene would be physical evidence.
2.Describe three ways that a crime scene can be recorded. What is a benefit of each?
The first way a crime scene could be recorded is by photography. Photographs are important to capture the unaltered crime scene as completely as possible before any objects are moved. Photographs are good to look at and examine later on.
The second way to record a crime scene is drawings. Photographs may not always present a good picture of the scale of a room or of the relationship of items to each other, so this is where drawings or sketches would be useful. Rough sketches show the location of evidence and contain accurate accounts of the distances between them and the dimensions of the crime scene. A finished sketch is a more accurate and complete sketch, this is sometimes created with computer aids or digital programs.
The third way a crime scene is recorded is note taking. The notes may include a description of the crime scene, the location of pieces of evidence, and how the evidence was discovered. Note taking is good because it can jog the memory of an investigator long after they have left the scene. They can refer back to these notes months or years later to prepare for a trial.

3.What is a chain of custody? Why is it important?
The chain of custody is a list of all persons who had possession of the evidence during the crime investigation. It is important because it shows who had custody of the evidence from some time until the time of trial. This reduces the chance of evidence being contaminated.
4.What three types of photographs are taken at crime scenes? Describe each type?
Overview photographs show the crime scene in wide angles, they are taken from different vantage points to show the entry and exit points.
Intermediate photographs are closer to the evidence, but still show the area around the evidence. This helps show the evidence in relation to other objects in the room.
Close up photographs focus on an injury, a weapon or a piece of evidence. They are taken to help record specific details that can’t be seen by shots from farther away.
5. Why is it important to record the crime scene?
It is important to record the crime scene so that investigators can document evidence that can be used in trial later on. Also having records of the crime scene allows investigators to look back over the evidence as it appeared at the scene long after the crime scene itself is no longer available

1.Why is it important to secure the crime scene? What do you think would be the most difficult part of doing this?
It is important to secure the crime scene to keep unauthorized individuals from destroying or contaminating evidence. Securing and isolating the crime scene gives investigators a better chance of finding evidence and thus, a better chance of finding the person responsible. If they don’t secure it, there’s a chance their