Book excerpt: The Evidence Collection handbook was developed with the special needs of both law enforcement officers and criminal justice students in mind.The beginning of any successful investigation hinges on the proper collection of evidence. In many areas of the country, responding officers may have to wait hours for laboratory resources to arrive at a crime scene--or they may never have the benefit of expert assistance at all. In addition, even major metropolitan departments have limited laboratory personnel that can be sent to crime scenes. Therefore, it is essential that field personnel be prepared to competently identify and collect evidence for submission to a crime laboratory. The handbook is designed to serve as a quick reference on effective procedures for the collection, preservation, and transmittal of evidence for examination, analysis, and presentation at the time of prosecution.Divided into five sections, Evidence Collection covers:1. Crime Scene Incident Evidence Collection: Discusses various types of crime incidents and the typical evidence found at the scene.2. Collection and Preservation of Evidence: Describes procedures for collecting and preserving 16 categories of evidence.3. Transmittal of Evidence to a Laboratory: Describes procedures for forwarding evidence to a forensic laboratory.4. Laboratory Analysis and Examination Time: Discusses techniques available at forensic laboratories for evaluating and analyzing evidence.5. Glossary: Explains technical terms often used in forensic science.