Crime scene first responders: How one mistake can break a case
"First responders are the most important and most consequential people in an investigation," noted Senior Superintendent of Police Jonathan Kalungi, a forensic expert in the Directorate of Forensic Services.
Crime scene first responders: How one mistake can break a case
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A criminal case can begin to unravel before detectives arrive and before forensic experts collect enough evidence to rely on in court.
The damage can happen in the first few minutes at the crime scene.
A scene can be contaminated. A foot or fingerprint can be destroyed. An object can be moved, or a crucial exhibit can be wrongly labelled.
And when the case eventually reaches court, a seemingly minor mistake made at the scene can become the weakness that allows a suspect to walk free.
As a result, a senior forensic expert in the Uganda Police Force has warned officers who access scenes of crime first to always preserve them well.
"First responders are the most important and most consequential people in an investigation," noted Senior Superintendent of Police Jonathan Kalungi, a forensic expert in the Directorate of Forensic Services.
Kalungi said a first responder effectively becomes the starting point from which the police establish what happened. “Unless you are either a victim or a suspect, you can never beat the first person at a crime scene,” he said.
His warning was made on day two (September 15) of the five-day training for first responders from the Kampala Metropolitan area at Naguru in Kampala. The United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI) organised the training.
During the training, officers were taken through the importance of protecting scenes, preserving evidence and following standard procedures.
Kalungi said the first responder has an advantage that subsequent investigators cannot easily reproduce - they encounter the scene closest to its original condition.
"The officer (first responder), therefore, has to document what was found, who was present, who arrived later, who entered the scene and what actions may have altered the evidence," he said.
Kalungi challenged officers to stop approaching crime scenes with conclusions already formed from what victims, witnesses or other people tell them.
He said investigators should not simply search for evidence that confirms an allegation. Instead, they must allow the physical evidence to establish its own account of events.
“We are not trying to find evidence to fit what we have been told. Instead, we want the evidence and the crime scene to tell us its own story,” he said.
That distinction, Kalungi said, can determine whether an investigation uncovers the truth or merely reinforces an assumption.
"Officers must listen to different accounts, test them against what they find at the scene and follow every lead until it reaches a dead end," he observed.
When evidence is lost
Andrew Munanura, the acting director general of UNAFRI, said the responsibility of the first responder begins immediately upon arrival.
The first duty, he said, is to preserve life, provide assistance, control dangerous persons and prevent further harm.
But once those urgent needs have been addressed, Munanura said, "the officer becomes the guardian of the crime scene”.
He warned that every unnecessary movement, touch or alteration could affect evidence subsequently relied upon by detectives and forensic specialists.
Munanura said footprints, fingerprints, blood stains, cartridges, signs of a struggle and the position of objects can all help investigators reconstruct events.
“A crime scene is not merely a location. It is a heap of events,” he pointed out.
“This kind of business is not about the lone ranger. It is about teamwork. You do your part and handle your responsibility,” he said.
He urged first responders to make conscientious notes from the moment they arrive, recording what they see and documenting subsequent developments that could affect the scene.
The training is part of efforts to standardise crime-scene management within the Uganda police.
The Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba, said the Scenes of Crime Management Procedure Manual was developed to give Scenes of Crime Officers, investigating officers and other police personnel a standardised and systematic approach to processing crime scenes.
The manual emphasises professionalism, integrity and scientific rigour in handling evidence.
"The rationale is simple: when different officers follow different procedures, the risk of mistakes increases. Standardisation is intended to ensure that officers follow the same sequence when securing, documenting, processing and handing over evidence," Byakagaba said.
Price of getting it wrong
John Mulimba, chairperson of the UNAFRI governing board, said first responders form the foundation upon which investigations and prosecutions are built.
“What you do in the first few minutes, how you protect life, preserve a crime scene, handle victims' dignity and document evidence determines whether justice will be served,” Mulimba said.
He warned that a poorly managed crime scene can undermine even a strong investigation, while professional handling can preserve the rights and interests of victims, who may be unable to speak for themselves.
“A poorly managed scene collapses the best investigation. A professionally managed scene speaks for the victims, even when they are unable to speak,” he said.
The stakes extend beyond individual cases. "If evidence is lost or compromised, a suspect may escape conviction. A victim may fail to get justice. The public may lose confidence in the police and become less willing to report crimes or cooperate with investigations. For investigators, therefore, the crime scene is not merely where a crime happened. It is where the case begins," Mulimba said.