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Guidelines on the Collection and Handling of Physical Evidence

NCJ Number
90355
Journal
ETC Bulletin Issue: 79-8 Dated: (1979) Pages: 3-12
Date Published
1979
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This report presents guidelines for the collection and handling of physical evidence pertaining to blood alcohol determination, rape, and controlled substances.
Abstract
The minimum requirements are presented for a blood evidence collection kit for blood alcohol determination, and procedures are explained for ensuring that the collected samples are properly identified and preserved. Separate objectives, equipment, and techniques are specified for dealing with living and dead subjects. The purpose of another guideline is to establish the minimum requirements for a rape evidence collection kit and to ensure that the proper equipment is present for sampling vaginal contents, rectal contents, oral contents, pubic hairs, head hairs, fingernail scrapings, and the blood and saliva of the victim. Techniques for collecting rape evidence are described. The final guideline is designed for use in situations where controlled substances are processed as criminal evidence. The guideline has sections dealing with standard operating procedures, collection, identification and preservation, storage facilities, inventory, analysis, locator file, disposition, and caveats.