Practical Crime Scene Processing and Investigation, Third Edition

By Ross M. Gardner and Donna Krouskup

Book Overview

Every action performed by a crime scene investigator has an underlying purpose: to both recover evidence and capture scene context. It is imperative that crime scene investigators must understand their mandate--not only as an essential function of their job but because they have the immense responsibility and duty to do so.

Practice Crime Scene Processing and Investigation, Third Edition provides the essential tools for what crime scene investigators need to know, what they need to do, and how to do it. As professionals, any investigator's master is the truth and only the truth. Professional ethics demands an absolute adherence to this mandate. When investigators can effectively seek, collect, and preserve information and evidence from the crime scene to the justice system--doing so without any agenda beyond seeking the truth-- not only are they carrying out the essential function and duty of their job, it also increases the likelihood that the ultimate goal of true justice will be served.

Richly illustrated--with more than 415 figures, including over 300 color photographs--the Third Edition of this best-seller thoroughly addresses the role of the crime scene investigator in the context of:

Understanding the nature of physical evidence, including fingerprint, biological, trace, hair and fiber, impression, and other forms of evidence

Assessing the scene, including search considerations and dealing with chemical and bioterror hazards

Crime scene photography; scene sketching, mapping, and documentation; and the role of crime scene analysis and reconstruction

Bloodstain pattern analysis and discussion of the body as a crime scene

Special scene considerations, including fire, buried bodies, and entomological evidence

Coverage details the importance of maintaining objectivity, emphasizing that every action the crime scene investigator performs has an underlying purpose: to both recover evidence and capture scene context.

Key features:

Outlines the responsibilities of the responding officer, from documenting and securing the initial information to providing emergency care

Includes three new chapters on light technology and crime scene processing techniques, recovering fingerprints, and castings

Addresses emerging technology and new techniques in 3-D Laser scanning procedures in capturing a scene

Provides a list of review questions at the end of each chapter

Practice Crime Scene Processing and Investigation, Third Edition includes practical, proven methods to be used at any crime scene to ensure that evidence is preserved, admissible in court, and persuasive.

Course ancillaries including PowerPoint(R) lecture slides and a Test Bank are available with qualified course adoption.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1032094435
• ISBN13: 9781032094434
• Release Date: June 2021
• Publisher: CRC Press
• Length: 430 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.0" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

Great for teaching

Gardner's approach to crime scene investigation is logical, methodical, and organized. It provides a solid ground for teaching a basic crime scene course. The processing model presented in the book provides the police academy cadets with a guide on how to approach each crime scene. Very well presented! Plus, Gardner knows his forensics - YEAH! There are so many books out there with strange bogus forensic information, the kind that makes you go, "WHAT??? Noooooo." As a practicing Criminalist with a Masters in Forensic Science, I am happy with his book as a permanent fixture on my desk and in my classroom.

Excellent Book

I am forensic scientist who has qualified as a expert witness numerous times in numerous courts in both Firearms Examination and Crime Scene Investigation. I also teach Crime Scene Investigation at the collegiate level. I have used this text for the past four semesters and have been very satisfied with it. As an professor, I received teaching aids that went along with this book. Both the teaching aids and the book have been well received by my students (and have made other professors jealous). The students also comment on the case examples that are in the book and how these real examples help them to understand the topics better. This book received one bad review on this website written by Boyd B. I must say I disagree with this bad review on many levels. The review criticizes the author for going into too much detail in bloodstain pattern analysis saying he takes a trigonmetric approach but lacks detail in other disciplines. Well the fact is, Mr. Gardner takes a similar approach to shooting reconstruction. Mr. Garner also goes into much detail in search patterns and crime scene sketching giving numerous examples of different approaches. His section on fingerprints is very good - especially when used as a field guide. The fact that Gardner goes into more detail in one of the most complex aspects of crime scene investigations (bloodstain pattern analysis) is a true testiment to his desire to make a difference in investigations. You can certainly tell that Mr. Gardner has spent significant time in the field and gives a practical (as the title says) approach to crime scene investigation. I have used this book to teach college students and forensic scientists who are training in crime scenes and police officers. I highly recommend you read this book if you are looking to get into the field or just want to know more about crime scene investigation.

Required Reading!

Every officer should have this book in their library. Couple this with Crime Scene Investigation (ISBN# 9781593453251) and Practical Homicide Investigation (ISBN# 9780849333033), and you've got an excellent reference set on crime scene investigations.

Excellent!

This text is required reading in many current crime scene processing courses, and rightly so. It provides a solid foundation to anyone wishing to learn how to process crime scenes and serves as an excellent reference for those already in the field.

Excellent Text

This book is an outstanding reference on crime scene investigation. Gardner writes from experience after many years with the US Army's Criminal Investigation Division, an agency known for their superb crime scene skills. Gardner's book covers the many facets of crime scene investigation with particular emphasis on documentation, one of the most important aspects. He presents the Army's 18-step method for crime scene processing which the reader will find to be an excellent model to follow. I am a working police detective and have received a great deal of training in crime scene investigation and own numerous texts on the subject. Gardner's book is far better than anything else I have seen to date.