Crime scene work nothing like what’s on TV
By Ted Long
Crime scene investigation was the focus of this week’s sheriff’s citizen group. We were educated on the role and procedures of the El Dorado County sheriff’s crime scene team. We saw everything from beginning of an investigation to the use of evidence in the courtroom.
El Dorado County does not have a dedicated crime scene team, it instead has deputies trained in CSI, and they perform normal patrol functions until there is a need for at crime scene investigation. Some counties, we were told, contract out CSI, or use civilian trained investigators. This way they only pay them when they are working.
The first thing we were told is that the reality is nothing like television, other than the crime scene taping. One might get the impression from the drama shows that it is an exciting, hands-on operation that makes or breaks most cases. The description we heard is more of a detailed, take your time kind of a job where much of the results are generated in a lab a long way away, with the dramatic results disclosed in months not hours.
Ted Long
They have a van dedicated to their use, which carries all their equipment. They must identify the scene, protect it, and then painstakingly search it including a high-tech vacuum cleaner. The obvious are the shell casings, the knife or other weapon and the victim. They photograph everything and carefully mark locations and time.
Unlike TV, evidence is put in paper bags, not envelopes or plastic bags; the reason is that the paper breaths and controls the determination and condition of the evidence. We did a fingerprint taking exercise, which went poorly for me, demonstrating the need for training and practice.
As usual, the officers were friendly and answered questions. We saw pictures of the process of investigating, collecting of evidence and even the examination of a dead body. The need for a “chain of custody” to allow admissibility of evidence was demonstrated and the need for a careful, accurate handling was underlined.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not a speedy process, fingerprints and DNA evidence as well as fibers and other particular evidence must be sent to Sacramento for processing and identification. We were told that physical crimes come first and property crimes may never get done. The officer explained that all property crime evidence goes to the back of the line, to the point where they may get a phone call four or five months later from the lab asking if they still need the work done. Given that defendants have a right to a speedy trial it may be useless to ever expect processing and use in a court case in property cases, such as burglary.
Another interesting evening in Placerville, learning that television crime shows make be just drama and not much reality.
Ted Long is a South Lake Tahoe resident participating in the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Citizens Academy.
Speaking of a CRIME SCENE, did you see the protest yesterday in front of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department during the award ceremony?
Looks like a bigger group is forming to protest a local who was assaulted by Sgt. Josh Adler for taking his picture! Interesting the Sargent Adler was on the Nevada side of the border patrolling with a K9 drug dog. There was no incident prior, just a SLTPD cop illegally crossing into another State on a recon mission inside the Raw Bar establishment next to the CVS (old Bill’s Casino). The US Supreme Court has confirmed the right to video record police. Remember Rodney King? What about the recent Nevada Assemblyman Steven Brooks incident? There are thousands of videos on youtube with people recording cops. This is not a bad thing. I wish I had video of my cop encounters to show illegal conduct and civil rights violations like ‘excessive force’. The incident at Raw Bar with Sgt Adler happened about 3 weeks ago at the victim has joined forces with others to protest and record SLTPD cops at traffic stops, etc. This is 100% legal no matter what as long as there is no obstruction/delay or safety issue.
SLTPD has block the victim “Mike” from filing an internal affairs complaint and kicked him out of the SLTPD office!
The SLTPD has at least 5 different recordings of Josh Adler assaulting and battering Mike face into the ground. All cell phones cameras were taken by the police and have not been returned. Mike was charged with criminal “obstruction, resisting” by the Douglas Co Sheriff (since he was in Nevada)… The Douglas Co DA is not exchanging evidence (the videos of the beating) or returning the cell phones to the owners. Essentially the DCSO, Douglas Co District Attorney are covering up police brutality, civil rights violations and RICO SLTPD and DCSO police activity at Stateline, NV. 2,000 business cards and fliers have been printed and are being distributed to locals and tourists to South shore. The website and facebook and youtube sites have goon viral with over 100,000 hits in just a few days! We believe the rotten cops need to be removed from the force. Read the actual inside report of the SLTPD from what insiders say should be done. We know there are good cops on the SLTPD and they should be able to help weed out the corruption.
We are not ANTI COP or ANTI government – we are ANTI CORRUPTION. We are Legion.
I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.
Thomas Jefferson
Ty Robben has jumped in to support Mike with the SLTPD protests using the massive CRIME SCENE tape and big signs that say SLTPD and EL DORADO DA END THE RAMPANT CORRUPTION.
Robben is protesting the El Dorado District Attorney Vern Pierson for not prosecuting the main perpetrator and “ring leader” of an October 2012 taser assault, home invasion, kidnapping, etc named Dennis Justin of the Justin Brothers Bail Bonds company in Carson City, NV. Robben originally protested the SLTPD in January 2013 when Sgt Josh Adler failed to produce a police report and there were numerious public records requests and complaints against Sgt Adler and Chief Brian Uhler.
With the recent event of Sgt Josh Adler and Chief Brian Uhler not responding and evading an internal affairs complaint – we are asking for both to be removed (FIRED) from the SLTPD. There is a pattern of misconduct and coverup and to only way to fix the problem is to clean it up and remove the bad apples.
SLTPD show us the video! We can you it on youtube for the world to see what happens in the tourist mecca of South Lake Tahoe when cops kick in heads, smash faces into the ground and practice martial law and usurp our God given rights. Is SLT the ghetto and the SLTPD the gestapo?
Now, with the massive movement called COP BLOCKING people all over the world are video taping cops and posting to youtube. Mike save a lady recently from DCSO and was thanked for video recording the incident. There is no going back, the revolution has started. Record cops for traffic stops and when they patrol your neighborhoods. I have witnessed cops doing questionable things including brutality and using an Iphone or droid these incidents can be recorded for the victims to use in court, post on youtube, etc.
An injustice to one is an injustice to all.
see http://SLTPDwatch.wordpress.com
http://NevadaStatePersonnelWATCH.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CopWatchersLakeTahoe