- 1: Types of Evidence
- 2: Types of Crime Scenes
- 3: Evidence Collection
- Collection Priority
- Control Samples
- Reference Sample Collection
- Equipment
- Procedures
- Biological Evidence Packaging
- Blood and Body Fluid Collection
- Hair and Fiber
- Wet Stains on Absorbent Surfaces
- Special Situations
- Wet Stains on Nonabsorbent Surfaces
- Dry Stains on Absorbent Surfaces
- Dry Stains on Nonabsorbent Surfaces
- Collecting a Sample From a Smear
- Evidence Marking
- Packaging for Transport
- Chain of Custody
- Preserving Evidence
- Reporting
- Testifying
- Summary
- 04: CODIS
Packaging for Transport
Home > 3. Evidence Collection > Packaging for Transport
Use plastic bags for the transportation of biological evidence only when there are excessive body fluids and possible contamination of people and other evidence items. Use paper packaging if saturation is not a possibility.
Never package wet or moist body fluids in plastic bags for long periods of time. This promotes bacterial growth and evidence contamination, which can lead to DNA degradation.
Transportation and Short-Term Storage
Before collecting any evidence at a crime scene, secure a place for temporary storage. This will help to prevent any degradation or contamination of biological evidence.
Direct sunlight and warmer conditions may cause DNA to degrade more rapidly. Avoid storing evidence in places that may get hot, such as the trunk of a police car. To best preserve biological evidence, store in a cool dry environment.
