Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy (NVCJA) Practice Exam

How should a shell casing be packaged for evidence collection?

1. In a cardboard box

2. Loose in a pocket

3. Placed in a plastic bag, seams sealed and initialed

4. In a paper envelope

The correct answer is: Placed in a plastic bag, seams sealed and initialed

When packaging shell casings for evidence collection, it is crucial to ensure the integrity and preservation of the evidence. Placing the shell casing in a plastic bag with sealed seams and initials serves multiple purposes. First, the plastic bag protects the evidence from environmental factors such as moisture, dirt, and potential damage during transport. This is essential for maintaining the physical condition of the casing, which can be important for forensic analysis. Sealing the seams prevents tampering and contamination, ensuring that the integrity of the evidence is preserved throughout the investigation process. Initialing the bag provides a clear chain of custody, demonstrating that the evidence has been handled appropriately and allowing for accountability among law enforcement officers. Other methods of packaging, like using a cardboard box or a paper envelope, while they might seem acceptable, do not offer the same level of protection against moisture or physical damage as a plastic bag. In particular, loose packaging in a pocket is not an acceptable practice for the collection of evidence, as it could easily lead to loss, contamination, or alteration of the shell casing.