21
Introducing Forensic Science
Forensic science is not the only science to use a chain of custody
in everyday operations. In forestry and logging operations, each
piece of timber cut from federal forests must be carefully controlled
and passed along from place to place using a strict chain of cus-
tody. Most logging operations have a unique stamp, much like the
Old West cattle brands used during the age of free-range cattle to
separate the steer of two separate ranchers. At each step of the
process, the people taking possession of the wood must sign off
for it with their initials and company stamp. Failure to maintain the
chain can result in loss of valuable certification that the wood came
from legal logging operations, which can stop the sale of lumber or
other products made from the felled trees.
mation about the types of proteins found in the blood. Most of a forensic
scientist’s work is done in a very specialized laboratory designed to process
the specific evidence type they must examine.
Most forensic experts never get anywhere near an actual crime scene
unless they are involved in a crime themselves. Specialists who are part of
a team called the evidence collection unit (ECU), deal with crime-scene
examination. Individuals working in the ECU do not do much in the crime
laboratory; their responsibility is to find and collect crime-scene evidence.
The ECU must treat each crime scene individually because no two scenes
are alike, and evidence can be hidden in the unlikeliest of places. Training
to become an evidence collector occurs mostly on the job, working closely
with an experienced collector.
