UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF LEGAL STUDIES,

PANJAB UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH

Forensic Science Project-

Police and Forensic Scientist Relationship with reference
to Crime Investigation

Submitted To: Sonalpreet Kaur

Submitted By: Amanpreet Kaur
Roll No.: 92/19
Semester: 9th
Section: B
Class: BALLB (hons.)

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Acknowledgement:

I would like to express my sincere thanks of gratitude to my professor of Forensic Science,

Sonalpreet Kaur, who gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic
“Police and Forensic Scientist Relationship with reference to Crime Investigation.”

Secondly, I would like to thank my family and friends who helped me throughout the project
with various information and required materials. Their constant support was encouraging for
me. It helped me to complete my project on time.

It was my immense pleasure to research upon such a great topic which helped me in gaining
meaningful insights. It was really a delightful experience for me to work on this topic.

Amanpreet Kaur

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Police and Forensic Scientist Relationship with reference to
Crime Investigation

Introduction-

Forensic science is the most important aspect of any criminal investigation as it allows the
authorities to identify the suspect in crime also helps in determining when and how a crime has
occurred. The word ‘forensic’ means “about the law” so logically forensic science involves the
application of scientific principles to legal investigations. Thus, forensic science analyzes the
evidence received by the police officers and detectives and then make a detailed report of their
finding. it helps in identifying the perfect evidence which held the suspect guilty in criminal
law.

The subject matters of forensic science are very much vast as it includes various areas, for
example, DNA analysis, fingerprint, autopsies, pathology, toxicology, etc., which help in
determining the cause of death and the link of the suspect.

Furthermore, Forensic evidence is a discipline that works accordingly with the parameters of
the Indian legal system. Its function is to provide direction to those conducting a criminal
investigation and to provide the correct information to the judges upon which they can have
full trust in determining criminal as well as a civil dispute. In recent times, Forensic science is
a highly developed scientific procedure that is used in both criminal and civil investigations. It
comprises all prominent scientific techniques such as fingerprint analysis, DNA analysis,
ballistics and explosives, firearms, etc.

What is Forensic Science?

The term Forensic Science is defined as “The application of science to those civil and criminal
laws that are enforced by the police agencies in a criminal justice system”. More specifically,
it answers the questions that are of legal interest and employs techniques and tools to interpret
crime scene evidence and use that information in investigations. It deals with the application
of the knowledge and methodology of various disciplines of science to legal matters. It involves
the use of multiple disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and
engineering for evidence analysis. For instance, physics is used to understand the pattern of a
blood spatter, biology to establish the source of an unidentified suspect and chemistry to

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determine the composition of drugs. Therefore, the application of forensic science in criminal
investigation and the legal system is often underestimated and extremely critical.

For evidence analysis, it includes the use of multiple disciplines such as medicine, biology,
forensic chemistry physics, DNA profiling, and computer science.

History and Origin-

The concept of forensic science is not new in the criminal investigation system. It dates back
thousands of years. Argentina was the first country to incorporate forensic evidence for a
criminal investigation in 1902. Sir William Herschel was one of the first to advocate the use of
fingerprinting in the identification of criminal suspects. By the late 1700s, forensic science was
being used as a factor to determine guilt or innocence in major criminal cases, including murder
charges. One of the primary functions of forensic science is to study DNA, the genetic coding
found on all living things. By the end of the 20th century, forensic scientists had a plethora of
high technology tools for analyzing evidence from DNA analysis to digital fingerprinting
techniques with computer search capabilities.

Types of Evidence-

There is a variety of forensic evidence collected at crime scenes; for example -fingerprints,
impression evidence, hair, fiber, firearms, biological evidence, drug evidence, and
entomological evidence, etc.

• Fingerprint Evidence: Fingerprint evidence is used to determine if someone is

connected to the crime or a part of the crime scene. It also helps the investigator to
track the record of the criminal’s previous arrest or conviction.

• Trace Evidence: Trace evidence is a general term for small, sometimesmicroscopic,

material. It covers such small evidence like fibers, hair,dust, building materials that it
can be transferred without being noticed.

• DNA /Biological Evidence: The two most common types of biological evidence are
saliva and blood. Blood evidence comes in the form of wet blood (e.g., a tube of blood
from an autopsy) or swabs of bloodstains collected at crime scenes. Other types of
biological evidence include hair, seminal stains, urine, and perspiration. In each case,
the motive is to provide sufficient samples of biological evidence to allow DNA
profiling.

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• Weapons Evidence: It consists of firearms ( handguns, rifles, assault weapons, etc.),
ammunition (e.g., spent casings, fired projectiles, bullet fragments, and unfired bullets),
gunshot residue (GSR) tests, and knives. The purpose of a GSR kit is to determine
whether an individual was close to a firearm at the time of discharge.

• Drug Evidence: Drug evidence includes drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine,

methamphetamine, and others), and drug paraphernalia (pipes, spoons, etc.) found at a
scene.

• Natural/Synthetic Materials: Natural and synthetic materials include clothing, bed

and bath material, carpet cuttings, plastic, paper, and metal objects.

• Generic Objects: Generic objects include vehicles, bicycles, containers, doors, wood,
and concrete.

• Digital evidence: It involves the evidence found in computers and digital storage media
like pen drives, hard disks, etc. Its major objective is identifying, preserving,
recovering, analyzing, and presenting facts and opinions about digital information.

• Other Items: Other items are a catchall category for evidence that does not fit in any
of the above categories.

A key element of Forensic Investigation-

1. Crime Scene– A scene of occurrence of a crime is a place where a particular crime has
been committed or where physical evidence of such crime has been found when it is
first conducted to the notice of the police. It is a starting point for the investigator,
which provides him with the information on the victim and the suspect, and to
reconstruct the crime.

The scene of occurrence cannot be limited to one place only. It may extend to one or more
places. It may also not be limited to immediate surroundings, but may In a wider area depending
upon the nature of the crime committed. In a compact scene of the crime, such as burglary, the
scene may be divided into five parts, namely:

• Line of approach

• Point of entry;

• Actual scene;

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• Point of exit; and

• Line of retreat.

• Preservation of the Crime Scene – Preservation of the crime scene is the most
important task of the police officers. There is a duty of the first person arriving at the
scene to protect the scene from curious onlookers and family members. Nothing on the
scene should be changed. touched or altered until the investigating officer takes its
proper note. Once any material object of a dead body is moved from its place, it can
never be restored to its original position That scene, once touched or altered, will make
the task very difficult for an investigator.

• Recording of the Crime Scene – After taking immediate action to preserve the crime
scene, the Investigator should then proceed to record the evidence. he should seek the
help of two reliable witnesses, preferably from the neighborhood of the crime scene, as
their presence will strengthen the case of prosecution at the time of trial. No evidence
should be picked up, or touched or even disturbed till every minute details have been
described in a notebook.

Recording of the crime scene including

• Recording of notes

• Sketching the crime scene

• Photography of the crime scene

Role and Application of FS in a criminal investigation

Forensic science is the key element in a criminal investigation without which the investigation
is not complete. It has a remarkable contribution in solving criminal investigation and other
heinous violence. Without the forensic science application, criminals can never be convicted
unless an eyewitness is present. After the commencement of the crime, police and other law
enforcement agencies are involved in the collection of evidence, the investigating officer tries
to collect the maximum evidence found at the site of the crime be it physical or digital because
a minuscule proof can revert the case. And it is forensic science that deals with the analysis of
those evidence to establish the facts admissible in the court of law. Thus without the help of
forensic science, murderers, thieves, drug traffickers and rapists would be roaming scot-free.

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Forensic science plays a crucial role in the criminal justice system as it provides the scientific-
based information through the analysis of physical evidence, the identity of the culprit through
personal clues that associate with the criminal through objects left by him at the criminal site
like a fingerprint, blood drop or hair, footprints, mobile phones or any other gadgets.

When it comes to forensic science, there is a great role of scientists who deals with it. The
duties and responsibilities of a forensic scientist in a criminal investigation is critical as it
involves the careful examination of evidence while ensuring that it is not tampered with.
Forensic science involves forensic tools in the investigation of a criminal act.

For instance, forensic pathologists are skilled at determining the cause of death by performing
autopsies. An autopsy helps establish the cause and manner of death through the examination
of body fluids and tissues. Forensic Scientists analyze physical evidence like fingerprints,
blood, hair, etc. collected from the incident scene to identify suspects. Furthermore, forensic
professionals use image modification tools to search for criminals absconding from the law for
a long time. This tool allows them to digitally age a photograph to understand how the
individual would look at aging.

Role Of Police-

Police duties include a wide range of activities such as education, crime prevention, directing
traffic and managing their own resources. However, their principal duty is to investigate crime
or possible crimes. In criminal investigations, the duty of the police (just like that of the
prosecutors) is to serve the interests of justice and not just to obtain convictions.

In their investigation of crime it is necessary for the police to work with a wide range of
technical and specialist people. Among the most important of those are the forensic scientists
and pathologists. The word ‘forensic’ is derived from the Latin word forens, meaning a
‘tribunal’. It means ‘in connection with the courts’; it does not of itself mean ‘scientific’.
Forensic scientists are those who use their science training for the investigation of crime. For
example, biologists and chemists who examine blood, fluid or powder residues from a crime
scene. Their expertise helps the police determine what might have happened and who may have
been involved. The forensic pathologist is a medical doctor who has specialised in the study of
pathology and works in the court environment. This often involves the examination of a dead
person to collect appropriate samples or evidence. Forensic pathologists generally do not work

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with living victims such as those of sexual or other assaults, fires or road accidents. This is
normally the province of a police medical officer.

The arrangements for the delivery of forensic science services varies between the states. In
Adelaide, forensic scientists and pathologists are based at the Forensic Science Centre.
Sometimes the coroner’s office will be located with the forensic services (as it used to be in
Adelaide) or near to it. The police forensic unit may also be nearby. In South Australia, if a
person has died in circumstances where the cause of death is either unclear, or where unlawful
behaviour is suspected, the body is usually taken to the mortuary at the Forensic Science
Centre. Under the instructions of the coroner, a forensic pathologist will then examine the body
(conduct an autopsy) and take samples for further examination. At the same time, police
technical services officers will be working on the crime scene collecting other samples for
examination by the scientists. The police forensic science section might also employ scientists
to do some of this work. This chapter sets out the way in which the police are expected to
approach the examination of a crime scene and the principles which they should have in mind
when doing so.

Provision of Forensic Services

While forensic science centres may be organisationally independent of the police, the fact is
that the bulk of their work comes from the police, who pay for the scientific services provided
to them. This is important because the basic principles of science are neutrality and objectivity.
In contrast, the basic principle of human and social organisation might be said to be ‘the one
who pays the piper calls the tune’. A recurring concern within this area of work is whether the
police are getting objective advice from the scientists – or advice that supports their need to
secure convictions. A dilemma for defence lawyers is whether they can trust forensic scientists
to provide them with objective and impartial advice when the scientists are so close to the
police – or when they might be working with the police on the same prosecution case.

There is no particular reason why forensic science organisations have to be government

departments or even substantially dependent on government funding. In some countries there
has been a move away from such arrangements. In the United Kingdom and the United States,
a number of commercially based and independent forensic science laboratories have been
established, and it has been recommended that the government system in the United Kingdom
be privatised.

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When the police or defence lawyers in those countries have forensic work they are able to send
it to any of the independent laboratories. Choice will be based on cost, turnaround time and
quality of service. Such laboratories can provide services to anyone who requires them and for
any reason. They might do testing for the prosecution, the defence, private individuals or
commercial organisations. The people who require such facilities have a range to choose from
– and the laboratories become accustomed to servicing a wide range of needs from a diverse
group of clients.

Whatever the local laboratory arrangements, it is clear that the need is for good experts such as
pathologists, biologists, physicists and chemists who can assist with the criminal investigation
process.

Forensic Specialities

The police use many types of specialists and scientific disciplines to investigate cases. The
more commonly used are the following:

Anatomy is helpful in understanding the cause of death or of injuries when dealing with skeletal
remains; for example, to discover if the bones found in the back garden are human remains or
a long dead pet. While not very accurate as yet, facial reconstructions from skulls is
increasingly resorted to in investigations.

Botany and geology are used to determine where bodies, clothes or tools have been. Leaf, twig
and soil samples left on clothes, tools or vehicles can be precise indicators of localities where
events have occurred.

Chemistry is important for much of the standard work of the forensic scientist or pathologist.
A detailed knowledge of chemistry is needed for the examination of powder residues from
gunshot wounds, the aftermath of explosions and the identification of accelerants used to start
fires in arson cases. Chemical tests help to identify materials and whether they are likely to
have a common origin. Chemistry is also essential in the examination of documents and inks
used in printing or writing. Histology, the procedure of preparing tissue samples for
examination using the microscope (for example from an organ such as the heart or lung) relies
on chemical staining processes to detect the features being analysed. Likewise, toxicology uses
chemistry in the detection of drugs and poisons. Chemistry is also used to detect fingerprints,
bloodstains, semen, urine and paint marks in almost every type of material and surface.

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Entomology is useful where there has been insect infestation of a dead body – especially by
blowflies – as this can help establish a time of death. This is particularly the case where death
has occurred in the open and the body has not been found until after about 48 hours, when the
other methods of timing death are less helpful.

Molecular biology helps to identify semen, saliva and other bodily fluid deposits or stains that
are significant in sexual assault cases, and blood, which is often fundamental in bodily harm
and homicide cases. The detection, analysis and storing of fluid and tissue samples, and their
use for DNA typing purposes, involves complex chemistry. DNA analysis has become very
important to the investigation of crime and to the reconsideration of convictions.

Odontology is used in identification. Tooth enamel is the most resilient material in the body
and the teeth may be the only way to identify remains that are skeletal, charred or decomposed.
Bite marks can be very useful. On occasion, a thief has regretted leaving an apple core or half-
eaten chocolate bar at the scene of a crime. Bite marks have also been used to identify assailants
in cases of sexual assault and child abuse.

Physics shows how things come into contact with each other. From ballistics to blood, from
vehicles to knives, physics can help determine speeds and angles, which in turn may indicate
the order in which things happened. This enables the police to check the stories and
explanations that people have provided. Ballistics is the part of physics dealing with guns and
ammunition. Fluid dynamics is the physical basis of bloodstain pattern analysis, which can
reveal a good deal of information about the scene, including the way in which a weapon was
used. Physics is needed to interpret the results of the variable wavelength light sources used in
checking for glass, fluid and powder residues, including traces of blood, semen, drugs and other
materials. Likewise it is important in colour comparisons of fibres, paint chips and inks. The
physical matching of fingerprints, foot marks, tyre marks, tool marks, bullets and guns, all
involve complex pattern-matching techniques – and an understanding of the physical dynamics
that cause impressions in different materials and surfaces.

The Principle of Transference

Investigators gather physical evidence to establish if a crime has been committed, who may
have been involved and how it may have been undertaken.

From his study of dusts in France in the early 1900s, Dr Edmond Locard developed what is
now a fundamental tenet of forensic science – that when a person commits a crime they will

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leave at the scene something that was not there before, and carry away with them something
that was not on them previously. This is now known as Locard’s ‘principle of interchange’ (or
transference) and is the basis of scientific crime detection (and the ‘clue’ in detective stories!).
It is often summarised as ‘every contact leaves a trace’.

Thus, where a person has been murdered, the killer will leave vital clues at the scene of the
crime – and also take away some material with them (on their shoes or clothing, for example)
which will connect them with that scene. They may leave fingerprints, footprints, hairs or
fibres, tool marks or car tyre marks at the scene. They may take with them mud, scratches,
traces of blood or fibres from the victim, traces of broken glass or wood particles from a broken
window.

Relevant evidence may be found on anyone knowingly or unknowingly associated with the
incident. A fundamental operation, therefore, in any criminal investigation is to quarantine the
scene immediately to avoid contamination and to preserve as much information as possible.
The scene should be kept cordoned off until everything has been properly examined and
recorded.

Contamination of crime scenes

Contamination means that the scene has been altered or interfered with after the criminal event,
which makes it difficult to reconstruct it. This may be accidental, as in the case of someone
stumbling over the victim in the dark, or it may be intentional, as is the case with the criminal
who wipes the fingerprints from the gun before placing it in the victim’s hand.

Contamination can also result from transference. The principle of transference applies as much
to investigating officers as it does to criminals. It is the investigating officers who are the most
likely people to transfer accidentally material into the scene and also between the scene and
the suspect’s location. Officers who have attended at the crime scene should not be involved in
interviewing suspects without taking considerable care to avoid transferring material to
suspects and thus contaminating any evidence they collect from them.

Police Forensic Procedures

Any organisation has to have rules which identify the people who have the power to act for it.
The police call their rules General Orders. Every police force will have rules relevant to the
control and examination of crime scenes. In South Australia the police ‘Crime Scene and

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Forensic Procedures Manua l’ is part of the ‘General Duties Manual’, which in turn is part of
the General Orders.

A police forensic procedures manual contains the minimum operating standards crime scene
examiners must follow when investigating physical evidence. Such a manual spells out the
command and responsibilities issues such as who is in charge of each situation and who does
what. It covers matters such as securing the scene, the role and responsibilities of the crime
scene investigators, preparations and procedures for the examination of crime scenes and the
preservation of evidence, communications (codes and procedures) and case management. It
deals with practical topics such as photography, equipment and supplies required (such as
adhesive tapes, fingerprint powders, plastic bags, gloves, overalls, cameras and film).

In these materials we elaborate only on those aspects that are pertinent to the cases which we
discuss.

The crime scene examiner

Crime scene examiners are usually part of the technical services branch of the police service.
They are specially trained and are responsible for providing high quality physical evidence
services to, or beyond, the standard specified in the guidelines. Where an examiner considers
the task is beyond their knowledge or experience, they must seek assistance from a more
experienced examiner or supervisor. Other police officers take statements and generally seek
any relevant information to help determine what has happened.

Quarantine the scene

The police procedures state that for any unexplained death, the scene is to be cordoned off
immediately. This means that crime scene tape is placed around it, leaving only one point of
access. A guard is stationed at that point to control access and must have clear instructions
about who is allowed in. A list is kept of all those entering and leaving the scene, including
times of entry and exit, and such details as the protective clothing being worn. A crime scene
examiner enters the scene via a route which permits access without disturbing any evidence.

Crime scene examiners must assume sufficient control of the scene to ensure that they can
undertake their duties without interference. The police in charge of the investigation should be
informed when the scene can be released to them and they can be shown through it.

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The scene examiners wear gloves, overalls, shoe covers, face-masks and head coverings. This
is to protect not only the scene from the examiners, but to protect the examiners from the scene.
They do not know if anyone there has been suffering from an infectious disease, or whether
there may be chemical agents or poisons present. Fluids at the scene might be bath water or
bodily fluids. Everything has to be treated with the greatest suspicion.

It is important to think about what counts as the ‘scene’. Other locations and vehicles may also
need to be secured. Where this is the case, a scene coordinator should be appointed to ensure
that there is no cross-contamination. For example, a person attending at the scene should not
be sent to interview suspects, or to attend at other locations.

Crime scene examination

The procedures require the police to investigate the circumstances surrounding a sudden,
violent, unnatural death, or other death, when it is not possible to obtain a death certificate from
a medical practitioner. The investigation should provide accurate and detailed information on
the manner and cause of death and the identity of the deceased. Deaths can be classified as
natural (that is, died of natural causes such as a heart attack or old age) or unnatural. Unnatural
deaths are further subdivided into accidental, suicidal or homicidal. The cause of death is
usually provided by a pathologist.

An unexplained death is where a person is found dead but there are no immediate means of
determining how death occurred. The next step is to decide if the death is suspicious or non-
suspicious. The mere fact that a death is as yet unexplained does not necessarily mean that it is
suspicious. However, police are trained to treat every unexplained death as suspicious (a
homicide) until an explanation is forthcoming which either confirms the suspicion or removes
it. Indeed, the South Australian Police Forensic Procedures Manual states specifically:

‘Initially (regardless of the probable category) crime scene investigators must treat every death
as a homicide to ensure that no vital evidence is lost.’

It is essential to treat a suspicious death more carefully than a non-suspicious one. Normally,
the doubts cannot be resolved until the results of the autopsy are known.In unexplained deaths,
the deceased is the most important part of the scene and safeguards must be in place to ensure
that no unauthorised access to the body is permitted.

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The chain-of-evidence

In criminal investigations, all relevant evidence collected must be clearly linked to the source
from which it arises. The explanation from a piece of evidence to its source must be complete
and unbroken. This is called the chain-of-evidence and it is of critical importance if criminal
charges are to be laid. All items should have an item number, description of item, location, time
and date of collection, identity of person collecting (initialled), general location (room, address)
and, if being handed the item by another, that person’s identity. Proper records should be kept
of the transfer of all evidence each time it passes from one person or place to another, and also
all processing that is done to it. This is especially important in relation to body tissue samples
taken at the autopsy since these are subjected to a number of processes as part of the
examination procedures.

A complete and unbroken chain-of-evidence will eliminate any queries regarding potential
contamination of the item. Details and batch numbers of any specific chemicals used could be
important to any later verification of processes.

Preservation of evidence

Physical evidence refers to anything which is of a physical nature that can be seen by the naked
eye. It can include vehicles or buildings, fibres, or obvious footprints and fingerprints.

Latent evidence is evidence that is invisible until it is enhanced in some way, such as
fingerprints that cannot be seen until treated with powder or light. It may also refer to
microscopic evidence such as traces of dust or fibres.

Destruction of evidence means that evidence has been lost, removed or transformed in some
way so as to make it unavailable or unusable. Clearly the first priority of police arriving at a
scene is to ensure that evidence does not get destroyed. Criminals may deliberately try to
destroy the physical evidence or cause the evidence to be contaminated or misinterpreted. For
example, by wiping fingerprints, or burning the car that was stolen or used in a robbery.

Evidence can be destroyed accidentally, particularly if there has been a lack of planning in the
approach to the scene. For example, if a body is found in a car, it might be the most natural
thing in the world to open the car to check that the person is in fact dead or to identify the body.
However, the existence of any flies within the car might help an examiner to determine how
long it has been since the car door was last open. Merely opening the door might result in the
loss of such valuable evidence.

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Contamination of evidence, just as for contamination of crime scenes, occurs where evidence
has been exposed to contingencies that make its interpretation unreliable. If physical evidence
is to be used to prove the presence of a person at a particular place, and that person has either
visited or been brought to the scene, then the reliability of the evidence may be put in doubt.
For example, if a police officer had been involved in a murder or robbery, but was later present
at the premises as part of the investigating team, then any physical evidence linking that officer
with the scene is contaminated by the later lawful presence at the scene. This is why any crime
scene must be cordoned off until all of the physical evidence has been obtained.

From the start of any investigation the approach must be that everyone is a suspect. One cannot
assume that any of the people who turn up to the crime scene are beyond suspicion. This applies
as much to the investigating officers as it does to the family and friends of a deceased person.

Search strategies

It is important to think through possible search strategies from the outset. The principles of
inclusivity and non-reversibility must be understood and remembered. Once information or
material has been contaminated or destroyed it cannot be recovered. Therefore the initial
information gathering should be as inclusive as possible. The basic rule is ‘never trust anything
to memory’. Diligent observation and recording is mandatory. Crime scenes are often charged
with emotion, but all involved must remain calm and in control at all times. The examiner in
charge of the crime scene should not relinquish control until confident that all relevant
information has been retrieved and secured.

Photographs and video

Photographs are taken to record the scene and also for use later to help reconstruct the scene
and the sequence of events. Police services provide for specialist photography and processing.
Video recording of the scene should always be considered as it enables larger and more
complex scenes to be understood in terms of scale and the relation of items to each other.
Lateral thinking is important in determining what counts as the ‘scene’. It could, for example,
include cars or people in the area. It is not unknown for perpetrators to remain in the vicinity
of a crime to watch the product of their work unfold. Sound and movement can obviously be
of value. Video can also allow the officers outside the cordon to appreciate what has happened
so that they can take appropriate action.

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Where there is a suspicious death, the body is the most important component of the crime
scene. Crime scene examiners should photograph the body at the scene and at the subsequent
autopsy using colour film and electronic flash. Photographs should include general, mid-
range and detailed photographs of the body, photographs of the body in the body bag, and any
other photographs requested by the pathologist. ‘When it comes to crime-scene photos, more
is always better, and great is always best.’

When objects or items are moved at the scene, it is important to retain precise details about
where they were in relationship to other items. Photography, video or a grid reference might be
appropriate depending on the circumstances. A photograph of an object in a cupboard might be
relevant, but a photograph of a gun or knife on the ground outside or on a beach may not be
sufficient to identify its precise location. A proper system of measurements should be devised,
so that afterwards people will be able to reconstruct the relationships between items.

Before items are removed or examined, any possible trace evidence on the item itself or in its
immediate vicinity must be preserved. This may involve fingerprints or dust on the item, or
dust or dust-free areas revealed when the item is moved. This can indicate if the item has been
recently used, removed or placed in that location.

In certain circumstances, it may not be possible to move evidence without damaging it.
Footprints, tyre marks and tool marks in friable soil, or on non-removable items or materials,
will not be able to be moved. In this case, photographs and plaster or flexible casts can be used
to retain the distinctive features of such evidence.

Strategic thinking

Communication strategies should be properly stated. It might, for example, be improper for the
scientific officers to be in direct communication with the investigative officers. It might be
improper for them to attend at the scene, or at an interview with a suspect. There should be
procedures for peer review of autopsy and laboratory observations. Control samples should be
used to test and demonstrate the accuracy of the system. These are samples that do not come
from the scene but from a known and independent source.

The biggest cause of contamination, however, will be because investigators have arrived at an
explanation of what happened too soon. Once one can explain what has happened, there is an
inevitable tendency to see only what fits that story, and not to see other (inconsistent) elements.

An assumption is the death of a good investigation.

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Conclusion-

It can be evaluated that Forensic science plays an integral role in the criminal justice system.
Some well-trained forensic scientists are trained to analyze crime scenes, evidence, and
personal testimony to create a visualization of how a crime occurred, and in the same police
helps them. In modern times, there has been an increased rate of crimes, so that the technique
of the crime has also changed and advanced as per the technology. Therefore it is pertinent that
the police and the investigating machinery use forensic science to detect crime and also are at
par with the growing technology and various natures of crime. Forensic science can be used
in almost every criminal case; however, investigations of rape, homicide, and burglary are those
that benefit the most from forensic science. The main aim of the criminal justice system is to
provide fair justice. Doubtlessly, forensic evidence is more authentic than ocular evidence.
Forensic science being scientific evidence is a prerequisite for the criminal justice system.

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Bibliography-

• Criminal Law Lecture: Police and Forensic Science Procedures (netk.net.au)

• Police - Crime Scene, Forensics, Investigation | Britannica
• Role of Forensic Science in a Criminal Investigation - Indian Law Portal
• Forensic science under criminal law - iPleaders
• Cooperation between law enforcement officers and forensic specialists. Diagnosis and
possible improvements - a Lithuanian experience - PubMed (nih.gov)
• (PDF) Preparedness and Challenges of Police in Using Forensic Science: A Review of
Some Related Literature (researchgate.net)

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