What does being a Scenes of Crime Officer Involve in the UK
The scene of a crime in the first instance is usually investigated by a constable who has responded to a call to attend the scene. His job is to take down details of the crime and statements from witnesses. It is also his job to preserve the crime scene until the Scenes of Crime Officer(SOCO)arrives to take over the investigation.
The SOCO will consult with the investigating constable and any detectives assigned to the case to establish the nature of the crime and any relevant details. In the case of burglaries it may be necessary to take finger prints from points of entry and to photograph evidence and damage at the scene. This may also include photographs of foot prints and tyre marks close to the scene. Basically the SOCO carries out an initial forensic examination and collects evidence for a more thorough laboratory examination back at the police station.
In more serious crime like assault or murder the SOCO may need to take additional evidence from the scene of the crime like photos of the victim or victims. If the victim has been murdered it will be necessary to take photos of the victim in the position he was found and any possible weapons found nearby. The officer will also chalk around the victim and any possible weapons used in the assault so the scene can be revisited at a later stage after the bodies have been removed.
All additional evidence in serious crime will need to be collected including forensic evidence like fibres of clothing or human hairs close to the victim but not the victim’s own hair. All these items will need to be bagged and marked individually.
In the case of drugs, all narcotics and unidentified substances will need to be bagged, labelled and filed back at the police station. This may also include equipment used with drugs. For example: smoking pipes, rolling papers, drug crushers and grinders.
Vehicles allegedly used in crime will be initially inspected by SOCO for evidence. If any evidence is found it would be preserved and the vehicle would need to be towed to the police station for closer forensic examination.
In a nutshell, the purpose of SOCO is to take over from the initial investigating officer and to preserve and protect evidence from being disturbed, damaged, or tampered with before a full forensic examination can be performed under laboratory conditions.
