Diagnosis Assignment HCR 400

 

Please choose a diagnosis article based on your interests and complete the following questions. Make sure to provide as much detail as possible.

 

Article chosen (citation):

Question that the article answered (what problem is it solving):

Study design:

Setting:

Participants:

Main result:

Conclusion:

Is the comparison group appropriate?

Was there a clear description of the disease status of the tested population?

Was there sufficient description of the methods?

How might we use this ‘evidence’ to inform practice?

Assignment Details

Handling evidence is done for a number of reasons. After it is photographed, drawn in the crime scene sketch, and listed in the crime scene notes, it should be processed. There may be an analysis done at the scene and packages for storage in the evidence repository, or the evidence may be collected for transportation to the crime laboratory for further analysis.

Control of the evidence for accountability purposes is done using a document known as the chain of custody. The chain of custody reflects the travel of the evidence through the criminal justice system including where it was obtained, who had control of it from the law enforcement agency that collected it, the evidence custodians who received it, the laboratory technician who analyzed it, the court clerk who held it as an exhibit during the trial, and finally the method of disposal when the evidence was no longer needed as evidence.

You are part of a crime scene unit conducting a crime scene search and processing. At the scene, you find a Colt, .45 caliber, model 1911A1 pistol with the serial number eradicated. There are seven rounds of .45 Remington Peters full metal jacket bullets in the magazine. There is a live round in the chamber of the pistol, and the hammer is cocked with the safety off. The pistol has been photographed, drawn in the sketches, and notes on the pistol have been completed.

Complete the following in a 4–6-page paper:

• What will happen to this pistol if it was found to be used in a crime, and how will it be processed, packaged, and analyzed?
• Detail the chain-of-custody persons that you can expect to handle the firearm.
• Explain how the firearm should be packaged.
• Relate what tests may be performed in the crime lab.
• Explain how you would testify to the findings of the lab and how you controlled who had the weapon after it was seized as evidence.
• Finally, after the court trial is over and there is no appeal pending, how would the firearm be disposed of?

Requirements

12 point font

times news roman

double spaced

APA style

1) Evidence collection can be the single most crucial process in an investigation. The evidence collection process is the foundation of the case. Evidence must be adequately photographed, collected, and documented. One of the fathers of forensic science, Edmond Locard, had a principle that states that every contact leaves a trace. Once evidence is touched, moved, or disturbed, it is never the same (Horswell, J., & Fowler, C. 2004.)

Due to the importance of evidence collection, a trained individual in crime scene management is key to obtaining evidence properly and collecting the most important evidence that could lead to solving the case.

A crime scene unit is a massive advantage in many ways. People in crime scene units are trained civilians and law enforcement officers in the field of forensics (Gehl, R. and Plecas, D. 2017.) They know what to look for in different types of crimes due to their training and experience. A patrol officer may not know what to look for and will most likely not have the proper equipment to look for certain types of evidence. Another advantage is that the crime scene unit can manage the scene while the investigator now has time to talk to witnesses, offenders, write search warrants, etc. An investigator for a smaller agency doesn’t have the luxury of having someone work the crime scene. The lead investigator now has to manage/ work the crime scene, talk to witness, develop leads, write search warrants, and many other things. With all of these tasks, it is easy to miss a step in the evidence collection process. One final advantage is straightforward, proper documentation. Often patrol officers skip steps when it comes to documenting evidence. This is because they do not know the importance of adequate documentation. Chain of custody can be a deal-breaker in a case in court. Crime scene techs know how to document the chain of custody properly and know the proper forms to fill out for different types of evidence examinations.

With all the positives of evidence collection units, it is still impossible for most police departments to have this option. To ensure that a department’s investigators are qualified to manage a scene, they must be sent to trainings such as the National Forensic Academy or the TBI State Academy. These are options for the departments that can’t provide units dedicated to evidence collection. Also, patrol officers should be trained in basic crime scene management to preserve a scene properly until an investigator arrives. It is a patrol officer’s second nature to determine a victim, but it is not their second nature to determine pertinent physical evidence at a crime scene (Hawthorne, M. R. 1998.) Proper schooling and training could help make this a second nature.

 

2) “Evidence -collection unit dispatches specially trained personnel to the crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence that will later be processed at the crime laboratory”. Evidence-Collection generally begins with trained police officers, that’s usually a plus because these officers are familiar with the protocol and laws, all their needing to do is get trained for the specific area they are in. It states that every officer is usually engaged in different areas that they have to process evidence for laboratory examination. This department also must handle all body fluids and biologically stained materials with a minimum of personal contact.

This is new to me only because I didn’t necessarily know that there were special units for each part in forensic or policing

“Patrol officer or detective is charged with collecting the evidence” Where the officer effectiveness in the role depends on the extent of his or her training and working relationship with the lab. Pros would be that training can improve the preservation of evidence, such as educating patrol officers on the necessity. I would say that the cons would be the training while being on the clock.

As a computer investigator for your local sheriff’s department, you have been asked to go with a detective to a local school that received a bomb threat in an anonymous email. The detective already has information from a subpoena sent to the last known ISP where the anonymous email originated, and the message was sent from a residence in the school’s neighborhood. The detective tells you the school principal also stated that the school’s Web server has been defaced by an unknown computer attacker. The detective has just obtained a warrant for the search and seizure of a computer at the residence the ISP identified. Prepare a list of what items should be included in an initial-response field kit to ensure the preservation of computer evidence when the warrant is carried out.

A forensic unit within a federal crime lab has been tasked with the investigation of an individual who is suspected of the manufacturing, transportation, and sale of illegal fireworks explosives. Upon responding to a fire at the suspect’s house, firefighters discover 2.5 tons of explosives, and therefore, put out the fire from a distance. When investigators arrive on the scene, several networked computers, PDAs, cell phones, and laptops are found in an upstairs office. As junior investigators, they are unsure of how the fourth and fifth amendments will affect their investigation, search warrants, and the ultimate seizure of these devices. In addition, they are unsure of the standard operating procedures for processing computer evidence within the first and fourth amendments’ governance, so AB Investigative Services (ABIS) has been contracted to provide guidance in these areas.

Provide a 4–6 page document in Word describing: the forensics procedures to collect, and process forensic evidence from these devices while following the fourth and fifth amendment guidelines.