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Report Writing for Crime Scene Investigators
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Book Description
Report Writing for Crime Scene Investigators provides students with the tools to write effective crime scene reports. Students looking to break into the field of crime scene investigations often take courses in report writing but the textbooks available are commonly geared toward general law enforcement and first responders. However, none of the books on the market focus on the craft of effective, informative writing with graphic crime scene-specific considerations in mind. While falling under law enforcement’s purview, crime scene investigations fall within the forensic science field, and, as such, the reporting required is more technical and often more scientific in nature than the average police report.
Due to the lack of published resources and guidance in this critical area, there is no standard that currently exists for vital function within crime scene and investigative circles—and often the subject is given short shrift. This creates wide discrepancies among what students are being taught. This book is the first of its kind to provide students, and those professionals and agencies in need of a "blueprint," with a resource to teach them the various types of reports—and how to refer to scenarios and specific types of evidence—to ensure that the report holds up under the process of an investigation and for use within the courts.
Key features:
- Outlines the key distinctions between police-style reports and crime scene-style reports and writing
- Explains how to clearly and accurately provide an accounting and description of a variety of evidence recovered from a scene
- Details how to best organize the report in a logical manner and sequence, including the various components of the crime scene report
- Presents an explanation of the information that should be included in the report, and the rationale behind its importance, for testimonial purposes
Report Writing for Crime Scene Investigators provides to the reader the fundamentals of effective report writing for the active field Crime Scene Investigator. Coverage includes the necessary steps to thoroughly document scenes and evidence—from the time the CSI receives the call until the time the CSI testifies in court. In addition to the student market, the book will be a welcome resource for professional crime scene investigators, attorneys, and as a reference and standard for professional training programs.
Table of Contents
I: Fundamentals of Report Writing 1: Introduction 2: Writing Succinctly and Utilizing Proper Spelling, Grammar, and Terminology 3: The Use of Field Notes and How to Document and/or Incorporate Notes into CSI Reports 4: When and How to Include Field Documentation Such as Photographs, Sketches, and Video in CSI Reports II: Investigative Report Writing 5: General Guidelines for Writing CSI Reports for Crime Scenes 6: CSI Reports for Crime Scenes Involving Property Crimes 7: CSI Reports for Crime Scenes Involving Crimes against a Person III: Processing Report Writing 8: General Guidelines for Writing Reports for Cases That CSIs Processed in the Lab 9: General Guidelines for Writing Reports for Cases Involving Advanced Forensic Techniques IV: Testifying in Court 10: Testimony Related to CSI Reports 11: Legal Challenges to CSI Reports 12: Conclusion Bibliography App A: Blank Crime Scene Investigative Report Template App B: Blank Crime Scene Processing Report Template Glossary: Crime Scene Investigation Terms and Acronyms
Author(s)
Biography
Laura Pazarena is a Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst and has 15+ years of experience in criminal justice including law enforcement, crime scene investigations, and deployments with the military. Her experience includes supervision over forensic and evidence units, creation of policies and procedures, training manuals, and the training of hundreds of personnel. She has implemented numerous standards with various agencies and is published in the Journal of Forensic Science and Criminology. She holds a Master of Forensic Science degree, is a Professor of Crime Scene Investigations, and is developing the training for Medicolegal Death Investigators for the state of North Carolina.
Michael Kessler, PSM-FS, IAI-CCSA, MCSFS, is an internationally recognized Forensic/Crime Scene Investigation subject matter expert with nearly twenty years of experience. He holds a Professional Science Master’s Degree in Forensic Science from Florida International University (FIU). He is a leader in standards development in crime scene investigation including with NIST’s OSAC and AAFS’s ASB. Michael’s experience includes high-profile, counter-terrorism investigations, crimes against persons, financial crimes, and volume/property crimes. Michael has worked investigations in collaboration with numerous prestigious investigative and intelligence agencies globally including the Texas Rangers, FBI, ATF, DEA, NCIS, USACID, AFOSI, RCMP, MetPol SO15, DIA, CIA, and USSOCOM.
Amy Watroba is a career prosecutor who concentrates on cases involving complex DNA and forensic science issues, providing legal support and training for attorneys, law enforcement officers, and scientists, and developing policies and procedures related to forensic evidence. She has prosecuted high-profile and serious felony jury trials involving forensic evidence from multiple disciplines and has litigated appeals related to forensic evidence in the Supreme Court of the United States, Illinois Supreme Court, and Illinois Appellate Court. Ms. Watroba received her law degree from Loyola University-Chicago School of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.