A Study of 3D Digitisation Modalities for Crime Scene Investigation

A valuable aspect during crime scene investigation is the digital documentation of the scene. Traditional means of documentation include photography and in situ measurements from experts for further analysis. Although 3D reconstruction of pertinent scenes has already been explored as a complementary tool in investigation pipelines, such technology is considered unfamiliar and not yet widely adopted. This is explained by the expensive and specialised digitisation equipment that is available so far. However, the emergence of high-precision but low-cost devices capable of scanning scenes or objects in 3D has been proven as a reliable alternative to their counterparts. This paper summarises and analyses the state-of-the-art technologies in scene documentation using 3D digitisation and assesses the usefulness in typical police-related situations and the forensics domain in general. We present the methodology for acquiring data for 3D reconstruction of various types of scenes. Emphasis is placed on the applicability of each technique in a wide range of situations, ranging in type and size. The application of each reconstruction method is considered in this context and compared with respect to additional constraints, such as time availability and simplicity of operation of the corresponding scanning modality. To further support our findings, we release a multi-modal dataset obtained from a hypothetical indoor crime scene to the public.

“He was Drugged up on Something...” Portrayals of Drugs and Violence on Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) as System Justification

We conducted a content analysis of the first two and last two seasons of the popular crime drama Crime Scene Investigation ( CSI), to determine the extent to which depictions of the intersection of substance use and violence were consistent with research. Using the lens of system justification theory, we find that CSI focuses on aspects of crime that preserve the status quo, specifically it overemphasizes the negative impact of illicit substances as opposed to legal substances (such as alcohol), and it emphasizes the psychopharmacological role of drugs in violent crime compared to systemic violence related to the illegality of drug markets, even though research demonstrates that systemic violence makes up a large proportion of substance-related homicides. Despite significant changes in drug policy that occurred during the time that CSI was on the air, we find these portrayals are largely unchanged between episodes that were broadcast between 2000–2002 versus those that aired 2014–2015.

Theorizing the forensic gaze and the CSI shot in the multimodal ensemble of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2002–2015)

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ( (2002–2015) CBS, Alliance Atlantis Communications, CBS Paramount Network Television, Jerry Bruckheimer Television.) marks a paradigm shift in the post-9/11 forensic visual culture, ostensibly presenting physical evidence as a system of surveillance and control; the team of criminalists as ideologically complicit with state power; and high-tech forensic gadgetry as infallible and conducive to the culprit. In the melodramatic narrative strands, sophisticated plotlines, and spectacular performances of forensic science, CSI heavily rests on a novel and meticulously elaborated aesthetics that redefines the conception of gaze and camera shot in the weaving of episodes across the different seasons. A more nuanced comprehension of CSI’s visual forensic discourse is, therefore, necessitated to fully understand the cultural significance of these offerings. To this end, extending the work of Kress and Van Leuween on the systems of gaze and social distance in light of the Foucauldian and post-panoptic views on power and control, the article introduces fine-grained taxonomies of the forensic gaze and camera shot as fundamental aesthetics closely tied to post-9/11 extensive surveillance discourse. Resituating CSI in the broader context of the post-panopticon, the study argues that the drama series operates in a hybrid surveillance mode that surpasses conventional readings of panopticism, straddling the line between the physical and the digital in the contemporary age.

Crime Scene Investigation Issues: Present Issues and Future Recommendations

Crime Scene Investigation is the backbone of any criminal investigation. Expert report generated by Crime Scene Investigators are based on scientific evidence and are reported in a standard form. The content, when published should be reviewed rigorously by its peers. The expert report is a document detailing out how the investigation process of a crime scene was performed. The process of collecting and evidence processing do not only entail identifying, collecting and storing evidences for later analysis but it is a step by step process that is well structured in a document called Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Crime Scene Investigator. SOP is a complex document and sometimes overwhelmingly technical for the uninitiated. But if understood, it can be a good guide for law practitioners to determine if a piece of evidence should be included in a case. This article details out the SOP which entails groundwork before entering a crime scene, processing of a crime scene and wrapping up of the crime scene investigation. At each step, this paper will look at how it is adopted in current practices, its weakness and suggested improvement that should be adopted to ensure a final quality expert report.

Annotation of the Monographs “Technical and Forensic Support for the Crime Scene Investigation”, “Forensic Support for the Crime Scene Investigation”, “Features of Forensic Support for the Investigation of Business Crimes: Theoretical and Applied Aspects” by Tatyana F. Dmitrieva

Introduction: improving the efficiency of forensic support for investigative actions is of great importance not only for the investigation of crimes, but also for the fight against crime in general, which emphasizes the need to develop the fundamental areas of criminology in the field of improving the use of special knowledge, technical and tactical forensic tools, forensic technologies during the inspection of the crime scene examination and the evaluation and control activities of the actions performed, in this connection, the authors set the goal of studying the monographs by Tatyana F. Dmitrieva, Associate Professor of the Department of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure of Vitebsk State University named after P. M. Masherov. Methods: the methodological framework for the study is a combination of the general, general scientific and specific scientific methods of cognition: dialectical-materialistic, logical, comparative, structural and functional analysis. Results: the author’s position grounded in the work is based on the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation and the opinions of the competent scientific community on the presence of features, the elements of novelty, the theoretical and practical significance in the peer-reviewed monographic studies by T.F. Dmitrieva. Based on the analysis of the monographs “Technical and Forensic Support for the Crime Scene Investigation”, “Forensic Support for the Crime Scene Investigation”, “Features of Forensic Support for the Investigation of Business Crimes: Theoretical and Applied Aspects” the differentiation of the characteristic features of technical-forensic and forensic support for the crime scene examination and the investigation of business crimes is conducted. The questions of the importance of the research in certain areas and the uniqueness of the results of the peer-reviewed monographic studies are raised. Conclusions: the study revealed the role of the peer-reviewed monographs as important outcomes for the further development of forensic science and practice of forensic support for investigative actions and crime investigation. It is established that the peer-reviewed studies were carried out at a high scientific and theoretical level and represent a serious step in the development of these scientific areas. The author’s conclusions are consistent, logically justified, and the author’s suggestions and recommendations have practical significance, applicability, and can be used in doctrinal and practical developments.