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Cj370 Unit 9 Assignment Essay

Decent Essays

Renitra Woods
CJ370
Unit 9 Assignment
July 14, 2014

Footprint and footwear evidence is very valuable. A footprint is the impression that every individual leaves on a surface that has some sort of moisture, it can also be left on a dry surface if the footwear or feet are damp they walk on it. If footprints are undisturbed they can last on a surface from a small amount of time to a long period of time.
Footprints should be used as evidence because footprints may be able to assist investigators in proving that an individual committed a crime, or was present at the scene of a crime and could have possibly committed the crime. Footprints are beneficial but not as beneficial as fingerprints or DNA evidence (LaMance, 2000).
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Although impression evidence is can be fragile, if it is left undisturbed it can remain for a long period of time depending on the location or weather.
There are several techniques that are used to gather impression evidence.
Latent Impression recovery has similarity to fingerprinting. This process is commonly used for difficult task such as two- dimensional impressions on materials such as tile floors, wood floors, or chairs.
Casting is used for larger, three dimensional impressions such as tire marks or footprints left in deep snow or mud. This process is similar to the process that dentist use to create casting model for dental work such as fittings for dentures.
Preserving evidence is one of the top priorities for investigators who are responsible for gathering and collecting evidence. Evidence can easily become contaminated or destroyed. Sometimes there may be individuals who don’t have a purpose of being on the crime scene, law enforcement official of course.
Investigators who are responsible for evidence collection must understand the importance of every bit of evidence whether it is physical or trace evidence.
Evidence in fire-arm related cases can be something as simple as a bullet casing. Sometimes the actual firearm can be found at the crime scene which may include prints. By examining this

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