Handbook of Forensic Science

Each day the modern crime laboratory attempts to discover new techniques of applying recent technological and scientific developments to aid the on-the-scene investigator in solving crime. The Handbook of Forensic Science seeks to familiarize the investigator with these techniques and to make known the capabilities and the limitations of the crime laboratory.

The value of properly collected physical evidence examined by trained scientists in the crime laboratory cannot be overestimated. It is a vital element in our criminal justice system.

At crime scenes every law enforcement officer shares the responsibility of collecting as much pertinent evidence as possible. The objective of the Handbook is to make available to law enforcement personnel a guide to legally accepted and practical procedures for collecting, preserving and handling physical evidence.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice. Founded in 1908, it is headquartered in Washington, D.C.