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1. Read and translate the text: TEXT 1.

THE CRIME SCENE SEARCH

A basic function of investigators is to conduct a thorough search at the scene of a crime. What is a crime scene? The crime scene is the location at which the offence was committed. However, the search of the crime scene for physical evidence must involve a wider area, including the lines of approach and escape of the perpetrator. Thus, a crime scene search must include the specific setting of the crime and its general environs. Regardless of the type of offence committed, the fundamental assumption which underlies the crime scene search is that there is something to be found. Even though not initially visible, evidence in some form is present at most crime scenes. A crime scene is the most fruitful source of information. The goal of any search during an investigation at the crime scene is to discover evidence that help to:

1)establish when the crime was committed and what specific crime it was;

2)identify who committed the crime;

3)explain how the crime was committed;

4)suggest why the crime was committed.

A successful crime scene search locates, identifies and preserves all evidence present.

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Evidence found at the crime scene assists in reconstructing the crime. A properly conducted search usually results in the discovery of evidence.

Securing the Crime Scene

Securing the crime scene is a major responsibility of the first officer arriving at the scene. Everything of a non-emergency nature is delayed until the scene is protected.

At outdoor scenes weather conditions, such as wind, rain, and snow can alter or destroy physical evidence. There is also a danger that people may accidentally or intentionally disturb the scene. Crime scene protection can be as simple as locking a door to a room or building, or it can involve roping off a large area outdoors. The security measures taken by the first officer at the scene, determine whether evidence is discovered intact or after it has been altered or destroyed.

Photographing, Measuring, and Sketching the Crime Scene

All emergency matters having been handled and the scene having been protected, the investigator or crime scene technician should photograph or videotape, measure and sketch the crime scene and all evidence. Photographing usually precedes sketching, measuring, note taken and searching.

The photography of the scene must be done carefully, showing the scene as it was found, first an entire room, then one area of the room, then specific items within that area. The basic purpose of crime scene photography is to record the scene permanently. Photographs and video-tapes reproduce the crime scene in detail for presentation in court. Photography is valuable investigate technique, modern equipment enhancing its usefulness in investigation.

In addition to photographs, a sketch should be made of the crime scene before any evidence is moved. Sketches supplement photographs. The sketch should be accurate, clear and show the location of all important evidence found during the crime scene search and its measurements.

Organizing the Crime Search

Initial photographing having been completed, the investigator may start the search of the crime scene. First, a search plan must be formulated. Proper organization results in a thorough search with no accidental destruction of evidence. The search leader is to divide the duties among the members of the search group, select a search pattern

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best suited for an area, determine the items most likely to be found, give all known details of the crime to the officers participating in the search, instruct them on the type of evidence to search for and their specific responsibilities.

The Search for Physical Evidence

The examination of the crime scene must be thorough. The primary responsibility of the search group is to find, collect and identify physical evidence. Physical evidence ranges in size from very large objects to minute substances. Understanding what type of evidence can be found at various types of crime scenes is important to an effective crime scene search. The elements of the crime help to determine what will be useful as evidence.

Besides knowing what types of evidence to search for, it is necessary to know where evidence is most likely to be found. For example, evidence is often found on or near the route used to and from the crime scene. The perpetrator may drop items used to commit the crime or leave shoe or tire prints. Evidence is also often found or near a dead body.

At the stage of detailed examination the investigator tries to answer a lot of different questions: What? Where? When? How? Why? Who? What for?

At the final stage of the crime scene search the investigator is to make conclusions of the happening and to make a record of the crime scene search.

Thus, crime scene search includes photographing, videotaping, measuring and sketching the scene; searching for evidence; identifying, collecting, examining and processing physical evidence; and recording all observations. The crime scene is preserved through these records.

After you read: Understanding the text

Ex.1 Choose the best variant to complete the sentences below:

1. The crime scene search includes:

a)the location where the offence was committed;

b)an area containing physical evidence;

c)the location where the offence was committed and the specific setting of the crime and its general environs.

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a)ensures discovery of evidence intact without any alteration and disturbance;

b)results in intentional destruction of physical evidence;

c)prevents weather conditions to destroy evidence.

4.Photographing and sketching the scene; a) is a basic function of any investigator;

b) reproduce a crime scene in detail and record it permanently; c) must be done carefully.

5.Proper organization of the crime scene search:

a)begins with formulating a search plan;

b)determines a search pattern suited for an area;

c)results in a thorough search with no accidental destruction of evidence.

6. The preliminary responsibility of the search group is:

a)to find, collect, identify and examine physical evidence;

b)to photograph and videotape the scene;

c)to record all observations and evidence discovered.

Ex. 2. Translate and remember the following word groups:

1crime scene – to go out to a crime scene; to arrive at the scene; to secure/protect a crime scene; to photograph, videotape, measure, sketch a crime scene; to alter or disturb a crime scene; to search, examine, survey, observe, inspect a crime scene.

2evidence – to handle evidence; to alter/change evidence, to disturb evidence; to destroy evidence; to search for an discover evidence; to find, collect, examine, identify and process evidence; to pre-

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serve evidence intact; to determine the significance of evidence; visible, invisible, latent evidence; to photograph/take pictures of evidence items.

3 crime scene search – to conduct the crime scene search, to make a record of the crime scene search; to videotape crime scene search; to organize and plan the crime scene search; to formulate a plan of the crime scene search; to determine the pattern/method of crime scene search.

Ex. 3. Match the synonyms:

Ex. 4. Which word is the odd one out? Why?

1.wind–rain–snow–duty–sun;

2.fingerprints–measures–footmarks–blood stains–hairs;

3.observe–search–lock–survey–examine;

4.disturb–alter–destroy–assumption–move;

5.environs–goals–objectives–purposes–aims;

6.scene–area–perpetrator–location–place;

7.photograph–intention–sketch–measurement–record.

Ex. 5. Say quickly in English:

1)проводить осмотр места происшествия;

2)искать вещественные доказательства;

3)осмотреть местонахождение вещественных доказательств, пути подхода и ухода с места происшествия;

4)независимо от вида совершенного преступления;

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5)предположение, которое лежит в основе осмотра места происшествия;

6)самый благодатный источник информации;

7)приводить к обнаружению доказательств;

8)охрана места происшествия;

9)место преступления на открытой местности;

10)случайно или преднамеренно испортить или разрушить доказательства;

11)принимать меры безопасности;

12)обнаружить доказательства неповрежденными;

13)урегулировать все неотложные дела;

14)отложить все срочные дела;

15)сфотографировать, измерить, зарисовать и составить схему места происшествия.

TEXT 2.

Read the text and find the passages about:

a)planning the crime scene examination;

b)walking through the scene;

c)documenting the crime scene.

Examination of the Crime Scene

Before the investigators begin examining the scene of crime, they should gather as much information as possible about the scene. Once again, a slow and methodical approach is recommended. Information is gathered to prevent destruction of valuable and / or fragile evidence such as shoeprints, trace evidence, etc. Once all the information is gathered, a mental plan is formulated as to how the crime scene will be analyzed. The examination of the scene will usually begin with a walk through of the area along the “trail” (след) of crime. The trail is that area where all apparent actions associated with the crime took place. The trail is usually marked with the presence of physical evidence. This may include the entrance, the location of the crime and the exit. In some cases, a walk through may become secondary if potential evidence is in danger of being destroyed. In that

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case, this evidence should be preserved, or documented and collected as quickly as possible.

The purpose of the walk through is to note the location of potential evidence and to decide how the scene will be examined. The walk through begins as close to the entrance as possible. The first place the investigators should examine is the ground on which they are about to tread (наступать, шагать). If any evidence is found, then a marker should be placed at the location as a warning to others not to step on the item of interest. Once the walk through is completed, the scene should be documented with videotape, photographs, and / or sketches.

If available, a video camera is the first step to documenting a crime scene. Videotape can provide a perspective on the scene layout (расположение) which cannot be easily perceived (воспринимать) in photographs and sketches. It is a more natural viewing medium to which people can readily relate, especially in demonstrating the structure of the crime scene and how the evidence relates to the crime. Nothing should be removed at the crime scene with the exception of markers placed by the investigators. Before taping the scene should be cleared of all personnel.

Whether a video camera is available or not, it is absolutely essential that still photographs be taken to document the crime scene. Photographs can demonstrate the same type of things that the videotape does, but photographs from the crime scene can also be used in direct comparison situations. For example, actual size photographs (also known as one-to-one photos) can be used to compare fingerprints and shoeprints photographed at the crime scene to known fingerprints or shoes from a suspect. This is the advantage of photographs over videotape.

The final phase in documenting the scene is making a crime scene sketch. The disadvantage of photographs is that they are twodimensional representations of three-dimensional objects. As a result, most photographs can distort (искажать) the spatial (пространственный) relationships of the photographed objects, so objects can look closer together or farther apart than they actually are.

Once the scene has been thoroughly documented then the evidence collection can begin.

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2. Find the sentences in the text corresponding to the following ones.

1.В некоторых случаях обход места преступления отходит на второй план, если существует угроза уничтожения потенциальных улик.

2.Если найдена улика, то нужно поместить на это место маркер как предупреждение о том, что сюда наступать нельзя.

3.Это (видеозапись) более естественное средство обзора, на которое люди охотно полагаются, особенно для того, чтобы показать структуру места преступления и то, как улики соотносятся с преступлением.

4.Большинство фотографий могут искажать пространственные отношения фотографируемых объектов, и поэтому объекты могут казаться ближе или дальше друг от друга, чем на самом деле.

TEXT 3.

Crime Scene and Duties of a Police Officer at a Crime Scene

When a crime is reported to the police, the initial police actions on arrival usually are:

-to arrest the perpetrators of the crime, if possible;

-to give first aid of required, protect the crime scene, question witnesses at the scene;

-to make a preliminary search for, recording and preserving of, and delivery of pertinent physical evidence to a laboratory.

The investigating process very often depends on the discovery of physical evidence found at the scene. The correct handling of any criminal evidence involves the vital need for proper collection and identification of all articles of interest.

Proper handling means to prevent careless destruction of any evidence, to establish and maintain the chain of evidence and to prevent, wherever possible, the addition of any extraneous data to evidence already collected.

A competent search of a crime scene requires that an officer should have specialized training, an understanding of a basic proce-

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dures, good knowledge of the «why» of certain actions, and close attention to detail in carrying them out.

To satisfy the legal requirements concerning physical evidence the investigator must be able to:

-identify each article of evidence, even months after he collected it;

-describe the exact location of the item at the time it was col-

lected;

-prove that from the moment of its collection until it was presented in court, the evidence was continuously in proper custody;

-describe changes that have occurred in the evidence between the time of its collection and its presentation in court.

Тема 25.

Вещественные доказательства

Physical Evidence 1. Read and translate the text:

The finding, collecting and preservation of physical evidence are the most important phases in a criminal investigation.

Physical evidence is of value only if it helps prove a case or clear a suspect. The most valuable evidence may be worthless if inefficiently handled.

In general, the term «chain of evidence» may be defined as the documentation of every article of evidence, from the point of initial discovery at a crime scene, to its collection and transport to a laboratory, its temporary custody and its final disposition. Within this context, it is natural that:

-the admissibility of the information derived from any article of evidence be directly proportional to and fully dependent on the manner and precautions taken to ensure that the evidence presented to a court has been protected;

-there be no viable alternative to a strong chain of evidence.

It is not always possible to know whether or not an object has evidential value until it is analyzed. For example, one is generally unable to see all the details in shoe imprint until a cast has been made and that cast compared with the shoe.

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