Description
Process and document crime and incident scenes, collect and preserve physical evidence, develop and record latent prints, and prepare reports and testimony while maintaining chain of custody and coordinating with forensic labs.
- • Capture and process digital images from scenes and evidence.
- • Document scenes with photographs and video.
- • Search for and collect trace evidence using alternate light sources and proper tools.
- • Develop and lift latent fingerprints; preserve prints per protocol.
- • Package, seal, and submit evidence while maintaining chain of custody.
- • Create scaled sketches and diagrams by hand or software.
- • Conduct field chemical processing of evidence using appropriate PPE.
- • Maintain evidence logs and write clear, timely reports.
- • Testify in court on scene processing and evidence handling.
- • Coordinate with detectives, prosecutors, and lab personnel.
- • Submit evidence to property rooms, forensic labs, and courts.
- • Respond to scenes on-call during nights, weekends, and holidays.
- • Use AFIS or similar systems to process and compare fingerprints, when authorized.
- • Process evidence at autopsies and in the laboratory.
- • Obtain scene information from first responders and witnesses to guide processing.
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Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
