In a significant development that has aimed at transforming the Punjab criminal justice system, the Government of Punjab has implemented a new, holistic structure in Crime Scene Units (CSUs). These new rules are meant to enhance forensics, integrity of physical evidence and make the law enforcement in Punjab to be aligned with international law.
This is by empowering the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) to increase the scope of its operations so as to enhance the conviction rates with undisputable scientific evidence.
Decentralizing Forensic Expertise
Under the new rules, the PFSA will come up with specialized crime scene units both at the divisional and district levels. This decentralization means that forensic experts will be able to arrive at crime scenes quicker, with the golden hour of evidence being highly vulnerable to degradation and manipulation greatly decreased.
The provincial government is making sure that even remote areas enjoy similar high standards of investigation as major cities by taking high-level standards of investigation to all districts.
Immediate Response and Scene Security
In the new structure, a lot of responsibility is put on Investigating Officers (IOs). Under the new requirement:
Mandatory Prompt Arrival: IOs are required to be on site at the location of a serious crime, such as murder, suicide and sexual assault.
Strict Cordons: Law enforcement agencies and police are now required by law to lock crime scenes immediately with some physical obstacles.
Contamination Control: Only authorized personnel are allowed to access the scene to avoid the accidental contamination of biological or physical evidence.
Strict Protocols for Evidence Handling
The procedures bring in a very strict manner of reporting a crime scene. The investigation teams have to adhere to four steps of documentation:
Visual Reporting: Recording quality images and 360 videos.
Forensic Sketching: Making detailed, measured sketches of the scene.
Written Records: Keeping chronological, hand written records of all actions taken.
Standardized Labeling: All evidence should be packaged, sealed and labeled with a Crime Scene Number, Sample Number, Date/Time and detailed item description.
Moreover, the exchange of evidence must now be accompanied by suitable receipts and obligatory signatures of witnesses in order to have an infallible “Chain of Custody.”
Secure Transportation and Storage
The policy also requires the use of special forensic vehicles to avoid tampering of evidence during transportation. Moreover, the divisional and district level collection units will be fitted with special climate-controlled storage facilities to store delicate biological samples that will be viable to undergo laboratory tests.
READ: More Informative Content
