G14.1.3 Photographing Videotaping
Chapter: Chapter 14 – Collection and Preservation of Evidence
Sub-Chapter: 14.1 - Evidence Collection
Effective Date: 11/01/2019
Revised Date: 02/08/2023
Rescinds: G14.1.1 – 11/1/2019
Purpose
To describe the procedures the Indiana University Police Department (IUPD) will follow when collecting, processing, and preserving photographic and video evidence.
General Order
The IUPD will follow the procedures outlined in this general order when collecting, processing and preserving photographs or videos as evidence. IUPD personnel will collect, process, and preserve photographs and videos commensurate with the training they have received.
Procedures
All photographs and videos taken as evidence will be collected using IUPD equipment. Personally owned devices will not be used to photograph or video any scene for evidence purposes. When video recording a scene, the audio will not be on.
The investigating officer is responsible for determining if photograph or video evidence should be collected at the incident scene. Officers will follow applicable IUPD general orders that require photographs or videos for documentation. Additionally, the officer will consider if visual documentation will assist to further the investigation or prosecution of any criminal act.
Patrol officers may photograph incidents without summoning an evidence technician to the scene. At the direction of a supervisor, incidents will be photographed and/or video recorded by a trained evidence technician.
Short-lived and temporary evidence should be photographed and/or video recorded as soon as possible.
Photographs should establish a 360-degree perspective of the incident scene. When large distances are involved, sequential photographs should be taken at established increments. Photographs of the scene should be taken prior to any items being moved, altered, or collected.
Established procedures for taking digital photographs ensure authentic images are maintained, depicting fair and accurate representations of the original scene or object. 35mm film should be considered as a back up to digital photography or when deemed appropriate by the photographer.
When it is necessary to capture the exact size of evidence, photographs without a scale will first be taken to accurately portray the object as originally observed. A ruler or other scaled object will then be placed next to, and on an even plane with, the item being photographed. The camera lens will be placed at a right angle, running perpendicular to the evidence. The camera imaging plane will be parallel to the evidence.
The location from which photographs are taken will be recorded for inclusion in the case report and the sketch of the scene, if a sketch is completed. Additional recorded information will include the name of the person taking the photographs or video, case number, date and time, and incident type.
The storage media containing the images captured will be packaged and stored as evidence in accordance with the IUPD Property and Evidence Packaging & Submission Manual. The evidence custodian is responsible for downloading all photographs and video recordings. All photographs and video recordings collected as evidence will be downloaded and saved without performing any type of editing, alteration, or manipulation of the image. If any enhancements need to be performed, a working image (copy of the original image) will be created. This will preserve the integrity of the original image. Every enhancement performed on the working image will be saved and recorded as a separate photograph from the original image. Each image will have documentation regarding the enhancements made from the original image file. The documentation will be specific enough to allow for replication producing the same result.
The photographs and video recordings will be stored securely on the IUPD’s digital evidence server and logged as evidence in the case report in the IUPD’s Records Management System.
Related Information
Indiana University Police Department
- IUPD Property and Evidence Packaging & Submission Manual