The successful investigation and prosecution of crime requires, in most cases, the collection, preservation, and forensic analysis of evidence. Forensic analysis is crucial to determinations of guilt or innocence. Divided into five sections, introduction, submitting evidence, evidence examinations, crime scene safety, and crime scene search, the purpose of this compact and comprehensive handbook is to provide guidance and procedures for safe and efficient methods of collecting, preserving, packaging, and shipping evidence. It describes the forensic examinations performed by the FBI's Laboratory Division and Investigative Technology Division. In the submission of evidence, all requests for evidence examinations should be in writing with specific information contained within the written request. Types of evidence examinations are exhaustive, however examples of evidence examinations include: abrasives, arson, band security dyes, caulks, cryptanalysis, explosives, feathers, glass, inks, missing persons, paints, ropes, serial numbers, tapes, toolmarks, and woods. Crime scene safety provides a familiarity of the hazards, safety precautions, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment recommended for personnel processing routine crime scenes. This section also describes the importance of compliance with waste-disposal regulations. A crime scene search is planned, coordinated, and executed by law enforcement officials to locate physical evidence. Several procedures are explained and include: preparation, approach, secure and protect, preliminary survey, evaluation of physical evidence possibilities, description of crime scene or narrative, photography, sketch, search, record, and physical evidence collection, final survey, and release of crime scene. Index