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Criminal Is Tics
Criminal Is Tics
INTRODUCTION
Physical evidence are articles and materials found at the crime scene
relative to the crime. This is further classified into three, namely, the
corpus delicti ( the body of the crime); associative evidence ; and , tracing
evidence.
Not all articles found in the crime scene must be collected, the
investigator must have in mind the rules of admissibility of physical
evidence in court. Say for example, in a case of homicide, an investigator
can not just carry the antique painting hanging in the wall where no
relevant link can be made vis-a-vis the crime of a deranged man barging
into the victim’s living room fatally shooting him. The evidence collected
should be competent, material and relevant to the case investigated. For
this, the rules must be properly observed; (1) the articles gathered must
be properly identified ; (2) there must be a continuity of chain of custody
(3) the evidence gathered must be competent, material and relevant to
the case being investigated.
At this very stage, CRIMNALISTICS, however limited our local means are,
comes into play, as the need to identify at the same time collect and
preserve the physical evidence sets the investigation into motion. After
the identification and the determination of relevancy of the physical
evidence, the respective specific fields of CRIMINALISTICS are applied.
There are various fields referred to. In Firearms for example, the field of
Dactyloscopy or Fingerprint Examination operates for the lifting of
any latent prints embed in the firearms surface. Another field follows
namely the Forensic Ballistic, this field of CRIMINALISTICS concerns
itself with the application of science in the examination of the firearms’
class and individual characteristics, in order that it may be compared vis-
a-vis the data bank of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Unit, which is the
repository of firearms registered and licensed owners’ information. Still,
the method of further obtaining an object evidence from the suspect
himself involves another field, the Forensic Paraffin Test. This is a
scientific examination to determine whether a suspect has fired a shot
using the subject firearm. This is generally done by pouring a paraffin wax
into the suspect’s hands and the cast created lifts any nitrate specks
imbedded in the hands foreskin and made visible by iodine solution. This
method though, is now being subject to question following its gradual
abandonment as reliable method by international forensic community.
These are just some of the fields of CRIMINALISTICS commonly used in the
Philippines, some are available but have not been so much popularly
utilized as the aforementioned. These include the examination of
Footprints, which is called Moulage, Tire marks analysis ,fibers , Glass
among others.
FRONTLINERS IN CRIMINALISTICS
ITS SIGNIFICANCE
CONCEPT
UTILIZATION
Mostly, CRIMINALISTICS takes the most important part in the first phase
which is identification of the offender. There are several methods applied
in our Law enforcement setting, these are (1) confession or admission of
the criminal (2)Identification and Testimonies of Eye witnesses (3)
Identification based on Circumstantial evidence (4) Identification based on
Associative Evidence (5) and , Identification by the methods of operation
(Modus Operandi).
Not only are we lacking of updated equipment, we also lack the necessary
training for the continuous enhancement of our crime scene operatives.
Be that as it may, some few good operatives maximize whatever
institutional facilities we have in order to meet the growing demands of
confronting the ever increasing rate of criminality.
There is equally a need to synchronize the skill enhancement and the
facilities updating, for however zealous our private sector are in donating
these CRIMINALISTICS equipment if the personnel are trained only to do a
ministerial switch on switch off , the equipment are destined to the junk.
There are those tools however that are done traditionally by manual
dexterity, and that is how the Philippines Law enforcement confront the
sophistications of more advance techniques. In Fingerprint examinations
for instance, our system is still on the original Faulds –Galton- Henry
generations. Our technicians can do no more than to do a manual
matching process vis-a vis a non-updatable Fingerprint data bank of the
National Bureau of Investigation. And because of the ever growing
population, it may take years to establish a match with those on record of
those lifted from the crime scene. In other words, unless the suspects are
readily available to provide for the standards, there is a nil opportunity to
find a match among those in store and thereafter establish a connection
to secure a conviction.
PERSPECTIVE