Crime Scene Management in Criminal Investigation

Abstract

Crime scene management is the first and most sensitive stage in criminal investigations. Given the role of material evidence existing at the scene for substantiating the occurrence of crime and identifying the criminal or establishing the innocence of people charged, it is highly important to maintain and investigate crime scene and to gather crime evidence existing at it. This research seeks to identify components and indices of optimal crime scene management. This research is an applied one in a descriptive- analytical form. To analyze data, single sample Wilcoxon's Test and to rate, Friedman Test were used. The intended statistical population consisted of judges and experts of crime scene investigation in the city of Tehran for the as many as 50 people. Research findings showed that optimal crime scene management components and indices were determined by using the views of experts and investigation sources, and research findings confirmed the effects of these components with the priority of "identification", "other major factors", "reconstruction", "specificity", and "sample determination" in optimally managing a crime scene. Therefore, research results showed the extent to which each of the components and major indices affected the optimal crime scene management. The most important applied recommendation of the research was concerned with the establishment of an effective coordination among actors engaged in investigating the crime scene.