ABSTRACT
The path forward for forensic science in the current climate will be one that mandates the adherence to a procedural guide or manual. This guide will proscribe how an organization conducts business and will touch on all aspects of the operation. Some parts of the procedural guide will be required if the unit seeks accreditation; however, it may be worthwhile to outline all the practices of the crime scene unit. Very often, crime scene units operate with what one might call business rules or traditions. These are often characterized by the fact that it has always been done this way and these rules are disseminated by oral tradition from one generation to the next. This can be problematic, especially when deviations are made for one reason or another. This can happen during a change of supervision when new supervisors come in to a unit and feel the need to “reinvent the wheel”. This is not to say that people cannot contribute to the operations of the unit, but, when business rules change, or change for some and not others, confusion and inconsistency in work product are often created.
