Scaling the Investigation to the Event

Not every crime scene is a major event that requires an investigator to call out a team and
undertake the crime scene and evidence management processes that have been described in
this book. Often, for minor crimes, a single investigator will be alone at the crime scene and
will engage in all the roles described, albeit on a far smaller scale. When this process is being
undertaken by a single investigator on a smaller scale, the issues of diagram, security log, and
exhibit log may be limited to data and illustrations in the notebook of the investigator.

It is important to stress that each of the tasks below needs to be considered and addressed
for every crime scene investigation, no matter how big or how small. Specifically:
The crime scene must be secured, preserved, and recorded until evidence is collected
Existing contamination must be considered and recorded
Cross-contamination must be prevented
Exhibits must be identified, preserved, collected, and secured to preserve the chain of
continuity.

Large scale or small scale, all these issues must be considered, addressed, and recorded to
satisfy the court that the crime scene and the evidence were handled correctly.