What is electronic evidence? How should first-on-the-scene law enforcement personnel handle it?
What will be an ideal response?
Information and data of investigative value that are stored in or transmitted by an electronic device are called electronic evidence. The first officers on the scene should take steps to ensure the safety of everyone at the scene and to protect the integrity of all evidence. In addition to following general forensic and procedural principles, first responders should use special precautions when confronted with potential sources of electronic evidence. Experts emphasize five key points:
• Don’t turn any electronic device on or off. Leave such devices as found and let specially trained technicians handle them.
• Immediately secure, document, and/or photograph perishable data found on pagers, cell phones, and similar devices.
• Identify and label telephone lines attached to modems and caller ID boxes.
• Preserve latent fingerprints on keyboards and other components for collection after completing the recovery of electronic evidence, to prevent data loss from the effects of chemicals used to process latent prints.
• Secure and preserve items that may assist in the examination of electronic evidence. Calendars or software manuals, for example, may contain handwritten notes showing passwords or other crucial information.
You might also like to view...
Making the transition from line officer to supervisor is a challenging time. As a supervisor you are now part of the management team. Instead of going from call to call or conducting investigations, you are now which of the following?
a. The overseer b. The doer c. The game changer d. The line worker
A good representation of Adaptation II is to state that it ______.
A. is the most common B. refers to conformity to both culture goals and means C. refers to the rejection of goals and means D. is widely diffused
The presence of one or more ___________ factors could result in an assault or battery being charged as a felony
Fill in the blank(s) with correct word
The landmark case of Brady v. Maryland places on a prosecutor an affirmative constitutional duty to disclose ________evidence, or that favorable to the accused defendant
Fill in the blank(s) with correct word