Crime Scene Investigators: Duties & Responsibilities

The primary job of crime scene investigator is to analyze and examine the crime scene, generally of a violent nature such shootings, car accidents and killings, to gather evidence and search for clues which is hidden to the untrained and general eye. But this job description is very ambiguous and doesn’t include all the nuances and the details of the job. It is so much more than just picking up random objects from a crime scene, wearing a white glove with a grave expression on the face. Crime scene investigators can also be independent consultants. There are many Private Investigators in Melbourne who double as crime scene investigators. Below listed are the duties and responsibilities every crime scene investigator has:

Analysis

The first step is to analyze and examine the crime scene, called scene recognition. The crime scene investigator takes a walk through the crime scene so as to analyze it and to fix a strategy about how to approach and apprehend the crime scene. This includes prioritizing and safeguarding the main evidences that can impact the crime scene in a major way, assigning jobs and roles to the local police authority, determining the equipments and machinery that will be needed to aid the analyzing and gathering evidences.

Evidence Gathering

This is one of the most important parts of crime scene investigation. One can say the whole investigation process depends upon the evidence gathering. After analyzing the crime scene, the investigator identifies and gathers the evidence. The investigator is also responsible for maintaining the integrity of the crime scene by cordoning off the area, keeping people from tampering with evidence and marking spots where evidence was collected.

Documenting

This is another responsibility of the crime scene investigator. After all the evidence has been gathered and all other procedures have completed, the crime scene investigator documents, in detail, all the specifications and findings including all the evidences, testimonials from witnesses and local police reports etc. This documentation includes diagrams, photographs and written notes including the initial assessments.

Background Investigation: A Brief Overview

Nearly every day nowadays, we get to hear the words background check, about guns shops doing background checks, employers doing background checks before handing out the appointment letter, federal government doing background checks for clearance and even parents doing background checks for their nannies and caregivers for the elderly. There are many Private Detectives in Melbourne who conduct background checks and background investigations.

Background Investigation

A background investigation digs a little deeper than a typical background check. A background check is much faster and cheaper and comparatively easier way of verifying information about a person than background information.

A background investigation is a bit more complicated than just putting a person’s name in a database and passing the data to the client.

A Background Investigation Includes:

• An extensive, intricate and exhaustive search of documents that are available publicly and include court searches in the relevant jurisdiction which goes beyond the scope of simple online database searches.
• Analyzing and reviewing records for misinterpretations, inconsistencies, fraud, fines, indictment, criminal charges etc.
• Interviewing neighbors, friends, family and relatives to get a more clear and consistent picture about a person, their character and their past.
• Checking court, public and probate records, court filings, financial records, property records, regulatory filings and corporate documents.
• A thorough and comprehensive picture about a person’s past and present through fact based and unbiased analysis.

There are various private detective agencies throughout Australia who specialize in conducting both background checks and background investigations. The average Private Detective in Melbourne of conducting a background investigation varies depending on how much information the client is asking for and how much deep they are willing to dig. As mentioned earlier background investigations cost a bit more than background checks and can cost from anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.