Crime Scene Investigation

Forensic Science Event

Updated on April 4th, 2023

Students will identify, secure, and process a mock crime scene. The event will be timed and evaluated according to event guidelines. To encourage students to improve their ability to properly secure, search, diagram, photograph,and document a crime scene.

Team Size/Limit Information

Dress Code

Competitors shall wear one of the following uniform types; a uniform consistent with current standards in law enforcement patrol (no duty belt), lab coats (matching; slacks, shirt, shoes (no tennis shoes unless solid black) ), or matching jumpsuits.

Materials

Competitors are required to provide the following materials for the duration of the competitive event. No additional materials may be used that are not in the material list.

• Photo Identification qt. 1

  Reference https://tpsa.info/policies for more information

• All crime scene processing supplies. qt. 1

Policies

• Competitors in this event must be active members of the Texas Public Safety Association and in good standing with the Texas Public Safety Association.
• Competitors must be familiar with and adhere to the Texas Public Safety Association Bylaws and Code of Conduct.
• Plagiarism, copyright violation and falsification of information are prohibited. Any attempt to gain an unfair advantage will not be tolerated. Violation of the code of conduct or bylaws will result in disqualification and revocation of Texas Public Safety Association membership.
• The scenario is a secret topic. Professional ethics demand that competitors DO NOT discuss or reveal the secret topic until after the event has concluded. Violation of the ethics rules will result in disqualification and revocation of Texas Public Safety Association membership.
• Instructions: Two (2) minutes
• First Responding Officer Interview: five (5) minutes
• Crime Scene Processing: Twenty (20) minutes
• Documentation Completion: Ten (10) minutes
• Total Event Time: Thirty-Seven (37) minutes

Procedures

1. Competitor(s)/Team(s) will report to their respective event when called for or at a set reporting time.
2. Competitor(s)/Team(s) must check in with event management upon arrival and present photo identification for verification.
3. Competitor(s)/Team(s) will be directed (by room moderator) into the event room.
4. Instructions will be given (by room moderator) to the Competitor(s)/Team(s).
5. When the moderator starts the timer and calls “start”, each team will: Interview the first responding officer and take appropriate field notes.
   1. Competitors do not have to utilize the entire 5 minutes and may state that they are finished at any time prior to the call of time. The remaining time shall not be added to the Crime Scene Processing portion of the competition.
   2. To provide a consistent and equal opportunity for all competitors, each team shall utilize the same simulated crime scene and shall receive the same crime scene information from the first responding officer when questioned.Teams who ask detailed, thorough questions will receive more specific information than those who do not.
6. The moderator will call “time” when the 5 minute timer sounds.
7. The room moderator will set a timer for 20 minutes.
8. When the room moderator starts the timer and calls “start”, each team will:
   1. Process the crime scene
   2. Package 1 predetermined item of evidence (evidence must be sealed prior to the call of time and before transfer to documentation room. Unsealed evidence shall not be scored or transported.)
   3. Collect all crime scene documentation materials and prepare to transfer to documentation room. Crime scene tape must be removed prior to the call of time.
9. The moderator will call “time” when the 20 minute timer sounds. All competitors must place their hands in the air and back away from their work if not finished.
   1. The judge shall indicate “DNF” on the scoring rubric if a team has not collected all materials and prepared for room transfer at the call of “time”.
   2. Competitors who receive a “DNF” shall be scored on an “as is” basis. Zero points will be awarded for incomplete tasks.
10. The room moderator shall escort the competitors to the documentation room.
11. The room moderator shall set a timer for 10 minutes.
12. When the room moderator starts the timer and calls “start”, each team will:
    1. Complete the required documentation for the crime scene. This includes: Evidence log, Photography log, Crime Scene Sketch, Entry/Exit Log, and Interview/ Crime Scene Notes.
    2. Submit all required documentation, including camera to the judge for scoring prior to the call of time.
13. The room moderator will call “time” when the 10 minute timer sounds. All documents/cameras not submitted to the judge prior to the call for time will not be scored.
14. The judge will be provided 5 minutes to score the competitors documentation and delete all photos from the competitors camera. The competitors may remain in the same room during scoring, however score cards may not be visible to the competitors at any time. The judge will not provide feedback to the team during this time.

Staff Instructions

People

• Judgeqt. 4
• Managerqt. 1
• Moderatorqt. 1
• Actorqt. 1

Space/Location/Rooms

• Large Classroom or Flex Area Indoor

  A classroom or flex area large enough to accommodate a three person team, a judge, moderator, and a crime scene. This area should be secluded and not visible to anyone other than those directly involved in the event.

• Large Classroom or Flex Area Indoor

  A classroom or flex area large enough to accommodate a three person team, a judge, and a moderator. This room will need to be close to the Crime Scene location, however competitors shall not be able to view or hear actions taking place in the crime scene room.

Supplies

• Mock Crime Scene qt. 1
• Item to be packaged by competitors qt.

  # of teams = # of items needed. Provide enough of the same type of item so that unpackaging does not have to be completed between teams. Example: The packaged item is a wine glass. 10 teams = 10 individual wine glasses

• Timer qt. 1
• Rubric/Score Sheets qt. 1
• Writing Utensil qt. 1