Handle evidence well, PNP chief tells probers

PNP Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome

For good police work, the devil is in the detail.

Stressing the need to not overlook the tiniest detail in criminal investigations, Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome reminded the 140,000-strong police force to preserve the crime scene and to handle evidence in a professional manner.

He said investigators must strictly observe and adhere to the standard operating procedures in the Philippine National Police manual on the physical handling of evidence.

Under the rules, “the crime scene processing and the collection, handling and transportation of evidence shall primarily be conducted by the scene-of-the-crime operations specialists of the PNP Crime Laboratory.”

“However, in some instances, the first responder or the investigator-on-case may have to collect evidence that might otherwise be destroyed or contaminated if uncollected,” according to the manual.

Bartolome issued the reminder after the chief of police of Mexico, Pampanga, Superintendent Wilson Santos IV, was shown on TV holding the gun used in the September 20 incident at a mall when a 13-year-old boy shot and killed his 16-year-old male friend before turning the gun on himself.

Proper handling

The official said Santos had shown an “unprofessional way” of handling evidence since he was holding the weapon with his bare hand.

The PNP said the collection of evidence “should be properly handled and documented by using protective gloves to preserve biological materials especially if the object contains finger or latent prints that need to be protected from contamination and destruction.”

The Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management issued a related memorandum reminding police officers that any equipment and materials seized during police operations as well as those recovered from crime scenes should immediately be submitted to the local Crime Laboratory Office for capturing and cross-matching by the Integrated Ballistic Identification System.

Bartolome said the PNP personnel must strictly act according to the rules to strengthen their credibility as law enforcers.

For this reason, he said his recent directives had touched on keeping police officers on the right side of the law, such as apprehending police officers found driving their vehicles without a license or plate, not wearing helmets when riding a motorcycle.

Originally posted at 05:49 pm | Thursday, October 06, 2011