The “crime scene technicians” who work for the New York Police Department (NYPD) perform varied job duties, including collection of evidence, photographing crime scenes, and testifying in court. As a result, their backgrounds are varied; some have backgrounds in mortuary science, while others come from emergency services, registered nursing, and evidence collection teams. The author describes how photographs are used as both evidence of crimes and as mug shots to capture criminal suspects. Photography presents an objective view of the crime scene and helps to put the evidence together. Many types of evidence are photographed, including shreds of fibers, hair, and skin cells. The author then describes how crime scene technicians document a crime scene. Special tool kits are used to recover traces of blood or chemicals and ballistic lasers are used to measure spent projectiles. Photography is a big part of crime scene documentation and several types of cameras are used to capture various types of evidence. When additional testing is required for a crime scene, the Crime Scene Unit calls upon the Forensic Investigation Division. Duties such as fingerprint and firearm analysis are carried out by this specialized team of investigators. The author also notes how the workload at the Photographic Services division is hefty and unpredictable. It is impossible to know how many murders, rapes, or arrests will occur each week that require the services of the photography team. They often work 7-day weeks. The author also lists the NYPD Photo Lab equipment and notes that until digital photography can be researched and tested in court, the NYPD will not be using this technology to document crime scenes.