CDI

1. By its most basic description, a crime scene investigation is a process for preserving, processing,
and reconstructing a crime. It makes no difference where the crime occurred or whether there
were many crime sites involved. A victim who was killed in one place and discovered in another
can have more than one site included in a crime scene. A crime scene can be on the land, in the
sea, in a tree, or six feet below the surface.
Evidence that is tangible and material can be found at crime scenes. The interpretation or
reconstruction of a crime scene does not, however, end with the presence of evident items or
clues. The investigator, whether a police officer, detective, or technician, must also consider a
philosophical approach to the scene when examining any crime scene.
When viewing any sort of evidence, including physical evidence and witness accounts, crime
scene investigators must never presume they know what happened based only on visual
evidence, nor should they become prejudiced or jump to conclusions.

A crime scene investigator must always carry out their duties skillfully and honorably, holding off
on making any decisions until all the evidence has been gathered, examined, and then used to
reconstruct a crime.

2. The first responder is in charge of determining the extent of the crime scene, guarding it, and
protecting volatile evidence. Determining the crime scene's scope involves determining its size.