Police & ForensicsPhotographs and evidence at a crash
You document a crash so the evidence holds up later: photographs of the scene, forensic evidence and video, the inspection of a hit and run vehicle and the evidence report. It is the photo and evidence work in the Albany Police Department (New York) general order on traffic collision investigations, shared between detectives, traffic safety and the forensic unit.
Free to startScenarios
- A fatal or serious injury crash.
- A hit and run whose suspect vehicle is found empty.
- A crash involving a police vehicle.
- A crash involving a city vehicle or public property.
The steps
- In a fatal or serious injury crash, detectives photograph the scene.
- Collect the forensic evidence, including video.
- Secure the search warrants needed for the physical evidence.
- Traffic safety carries out the forensic scan procedures.
- Forensic unit investigators take the necessary photographs and collect physical evidence and off-scene data.
- They complete the technicians evidence and photo report and forward it to their supervisor for review and distribution.
- The accident investigator advises the evidence technicians on evidence collection and photography as needed.
- When a hit and run suspect vehicle is found empty, inspect it, collect the evidence and photograph it, conferring with a supervisor about a search warrant.
- Document the condition of the suspect vehicle in the narrative of the crash report or in a supplemental report.
- In a crash with a police vehicle, take photographs whenever possible, except in minor collisions.
- In a crash with a city vehicle or public property, include photographs and other technical support when appropriate.
- For a police line of duty crash, make three copies of the photo disc, labeled file copy, professional standards copy and forensic unit copy.
To pass
- A complete case file is compiled with copies of all the relevant documents.
- Evidence is collected and photographed following the department's current directives.
Official source
General Order 3.4.10: Traffic Collision Investigations
The City of Albany publishes its police general order on traffic collision investigations free: the scene steps, the reports and who reviews them.
Making Synapses is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by NHTSA, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, the Albany Police Department or any law enforcement agency. Agency and form names are named only to describe the content.