Exploring the implementation of head mounted camera technology in Volume Crime Scene Investigation

This chapter sets out the use of head-camera technology in operational Volume Crime Scene Investigation. It covers the design and background work needed to ensure that the requirements of this method complied with the participating UK Police Service’s policy and procedures on photographic evidence capture. These procedures are regarded as being generic for all law enforcement departments. The head camera’s effectiveness in capturing practice coupled with assisting the development of that practice is also discussed. Two research questions unfold from this concept: (1) How can technology of this type be implemented in the crime scene environment? and (2) What can be learned from this type of observation that will inform teaching and learning in higher education, professional training institutions, and police service training departments? Understanding crime scene practice is useful if the practice is to develop its expertise, a factor examined in other dynamic domains such as social work (Fook, Ryan, and Hawkins 1997). Literature in the field of crime scene examination and how examiners process the scene is limited; however, studies in recent years have explored the thought processes of examiners (Baber, Smith, Cross, Hunter, and McMaster 2006) and how practitioners come together as a team to tackle more complex crime scenes (Smith, Baber, Hunter, and Butler 2008). These studies have incidentally fed into learning and teaching.