THE POLICE OFFICER SHOULD BEGIN TAKING NOTES ABOUT THE INCIDENT UPON RECEIPT OF THE CALL. CARE AND ALERTNESS ARE ADVISED IN APPROACHING THE CRIME SCENE. IN AN ASSAULT INJURY, OR DEATH CALL, FIRST PRIORITY MUST BE GIVEN TO OBTAINING MEDICAL AID IF THE VICTIM IS STILL ALIVE. AN OFFICER SHOULD ACCOMPANY THE VICTIM TO THE HOSPITAL. CUSTODY OF THE VICTIM'S CLOTHING FOR FORENSIC ANALYSIS SHOULD BE OBTAINED. IF POSSIBLE THE VICTIM'S IDENTITY SHOULD BE ASCERTAINED, ALTHOUGH INITIAL QUESTIONING SHOULD BE LIMITED TO ESSENTIAL INFORMATION. IF THE VICTIM IS DEAD, THE BODY SHOULD NOT BE DISTURBED UNTIL INVESTIGATORS ARRIVE. THE ENTERING OFFICER SHOULD IMMEDIATELY MENTALLY RECORD CRIME SCENE CHARACTERISTICS. CRIME SCENE PROTECTION BASICALLY MEANS THAT THE CRIME SCENE SHOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED UNTIL EVIDENCE CAN BE REMOVED IN AN ORDERLY MANNER. THE AREA TO BE PROTECTED WILL DEPEND UPON THE TYPE OF CRIME. CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO AVOID CONTAMINATION OF POSSIBLE EVIDENCE BY POLICE OFFICERS, THOSE INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT, AND BYSTANDERS WHICH MAY INCLUDE POTENTIAL SUSPECTS. OFFICERS SHOULD BE SENSITIVE TO PEOPLE ON THE SCENE. CROWD CONTROL MEASURES SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED. EVERY ITEM SHOULD BE CAREFULLY RECORDED AND OUTLINED BEFORE REMOVAL FROM THE SCENE. ONCE THE AREA IS SECURED, PHOTOGRAPHS BOTH AT CLOSE AND AT LONG RANGES, WITH AND WITHOUT IDENTIFYING MARKERS, AND FROM VARYING ANGLES SHOULD BE TAKEN. CORRECT AND COMPLETE IDENTIFYING DATA FOR EACH PICTURE ARE ESSENTIAL. CAREFUL AND COMPLETE NOTE-TAKING AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME IS ESSENTIAL TO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION. NOTES PROVIDE A REPOSITORY OF IMMEDIATE DATA WHICH WILL SUPPLY THE RAW MATERIAL FOR THE SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATIVE REPORT. NOTES SHOULD BE TAKEN IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER AND BE LEGIBLE. IMPORTANT STATEMENTS SHOULD BE RECORDED VERBATIM IF POSSIBLE. ONCE THE SCENE HAS BEEN RECORDED PHOTOGRAPHICALLY AND IN NOTES, A SKETCH WHICH INCLUDES MEASUREMENTS, DIRECTIONS, ESSENTIAL ITEMS, LEGENDS, AND A TITLE AND IDENTIFYING INFORMATION SHOULD BE MADE. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH OF THE SCENE. A CONCENTRIC SEARCH PATTERN IS MOST EFFECTIVE; THE SECTOR OR ZONAL PATTERN AND THE POINT-TO-POINT SEARCH ARE GENERALLY LESS EFFECTIVE. DURING THE SEARCH THE INVESTIGATOR SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR EVERY DETAIL REGARDLESS OF HOW UNIMPORTANT IT MAY SEEM AT THE TIME. BOTH REMOVABLE AND NONREMOVABLE EVIDENCE SHOULD BE CAREFULLY RECORDED. ONCE EVIDENCE IS REMOVED IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THE CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY BE MAINTAINED. (JAP)