Introduction:
Forensic experts are frequently used in crime scene investigations to supplement the skills of a police department’s investigative staff. These may include K9 handlers, entomologists, pathologists, archeologists, and other people with specialized skills. The purpose of this course is to give civilian K9 handlers a basic understanding of how crime scene investigation works and how they fit into the crime scene investigation team.
During this course, you will see references to Edmund Locard or Locard’s “Principle of Exchange”. The essence of Locard’s principle is that as soon as you enter a search area, you change it in some way. No matter how careful you are, your presence has an effect. K9 handlers and other specialists are asked to work in a variety of circumstances. These can range from search areas that are a shot in the dark…
- random areas that might have been available to potential suspects
to areas that are, or are very likely to be crime scenes.
- areas that are a good fit in a well-developed theory
- areas where evidence of a crime has already been found
Searching any area will affect that area. There is always a balance between scene preservation and practicality.
Course Objectives
After successfully completing this course, the student should have a basic understanding of:
- Crime Scene Security
- Documentation
- Collection of Evidence
- Chain of Custody
- Crime Scene Preservation
- Ethics
Prerequisite:
- U.S Dept. of Homeland Security ICS-100 or equivalent
Go through the two PDF presentations listed below. They should take about one hour each. Feel free to spend as much time as you need. When you are done with the presentations you will see a link that will take you to a short quiz. You will have 5 minutes to take the quiz. If you score 70% or higher you will receive a certificate for successfully taking this course.
Forensic Crime Scene Investigation Protocols
Ethics for the Crime Scene Investigator
When you have completed the second part of the course, you will be given a link to take a short quiz. Once you have passed the quiz you will receive a certificate of completion.
This course and the quiz may be taken for free. If you think this service is valuable, please make a donation to SARDUS to help cover the cost of this program.
