Evidence collection and preservation is a systematic and meticulous process as the evidence needs to be in prime condition for accurate analysis (commonly referred to as the ‘Best Evidence Rule’).
The first step would be to secure the crime scene to prevent any damage or tampering of potential evidence. Next, investigators take photos of every angle and object in the crime scene because once each evidence sample is collected, nothing will be in the same place as when the crime occurred, alongside which a rough sketch is also drawn to indicate the positioning of the evidence and the scene of the crime. Investigators need to look out for all forms of evidence ranging from fingerprints, fluids, blood, and residues to hard drives, electronic devices, weapons, and so on. Every detail of the crime scene must be noted no matter how minor they might seem to avoid missing any potentially crucial information. Once the evidence is collected, it must be stored in an appropriate manner to maintain its physical state. This process of preservation and storage depends on the type of evidence, such as anti-static bags for electronics, vials with the appropriate preservative mixture for blood or other fluids, etc. A standard toolkit for a forensic investigator to carry to a crime scene would consist of latex/non-latex gloves, sterilized forceps, sterilized tweezers of multiple sizes, sterilized scalpels, cotton swabs, paper bags/envelopes, plastic bags, cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, vials to preserve and store fluids, tape, alternate light sources, etc.
