Preserving evidence
Advice on preserving evidence so that crime scene investigators can help identify who is responsible for a crime.
The people responsible for a crime may have been caught on camera or left evidence, such as:
- blood
- tools
- fingerprints
- shoe prints
This is called forensic evidence, and can be used to help identify who was responsible for a crime.
When you report a crime, tell us if you think there is forensic evidence. We will let you know if it is something we can use.
Preserving evidence
If forensic evidence is:
- on your clothing, change out of these items and place them in a clean plastic bag
- on your skin, tell us this as soon as possible and try not to touch or wash the area
- visible footprints left outside your property outside and it is likely to rain, use a container or plate to cover them
- on an item outside and it is likely to rain, take a photo, bring it indoors wearing gloves, and put to one side for crime scene investigators
Areas of the home that have been disturbed
Do not walk in front of the point of entry, as there could be latent offender footwear marks. Instead stick to the sides of the room for several metres inside the point of entry, if possible.
If possible, do not touch or clean any:
- fluids such as blood
- footprints
- areas or items handled by the person responsible for the crime
Light switches and door handles can be used as normal.
Using areas that have been disturbed
Photograph the disturbance first. If possible, wear gloves when moving items that have smooth or shiny surfaces, for example, plastic, metal, glass and treated wood. These can be moved to an area that is out of the way for us to examine.
Items that are not smooth or shiny, such as clothes and textured surfaces, are unlikely to have any useful forensic evidence and so can be tidied away.
You can then use the room as normal.
Areas of the home that have not been disturbed
These can be used as normal.
Making your home secure
If a window or door has been used for entry, please leave it as found, if possible. However, if it needs to be secured before investigators can attend, it can be closed wearing gloves and touching as little of it as possible.
If a window or door is smashed and needs to be boarded up to secure it before investigators can attend, photograph the damage first, and make sure anyone doing repairs:
- leaves any broken glass in place
- wears gloves and is careful not to touch the inside of any frames
- secures any windows or doors on the outside only
Digital forensic opportunities
Any CCTV system, doorbell camera, other video or audio recordings are valuable evidence. Do not switch off any devices or change any settings.
If possible, download footage to include five minutes before and after the incident and keep it safe. Do not delete it from the original device as it may be needed later.
If you are unable to download the footage, leave the device on, and record the time and date shown on the display. When you report the crime, explain that you have digital evidence and we will help you retrieve it.