Which method is commonly used to document a crime scene?

Documenting a crime scene accurately is crucial for ensuring that all evidence is preserved and can be analyzed later in an investigation. The combination of photography and sketching provides a comprehensive way to capture the scene's details.

Photography allows for a visual record of the crime scene, which can capture the overall layout, specific locations of evidence, and any relevant surrounding features. This visual documentation is critical for both investigative purposes and for presenting the evidence in court, as it provides an unaltered view of the scene that can be analyzed later.

Sketching serves to enhance the photographic documentation by providing a detailed layout of the scene, including measurements and the placement of various items of evidence. Sketches can include important spatial relationships that are difficult to convey in photographs alone. Additionally, they allow for the inclusion of annotations that can describe the condition and relationship of items within the scene, offering a narrative that complements the visual records.

While other methods like video recording, written notes, or digitally scanning evidence play important roles in crime scene documentation, they are often used in conjunction with photography and sketching rather than as standalone methods. Each method has its strengths, but the combination of photography and sketching is widely accepted as a holistic approach to documenting a crime scene effectively.