How should you approach evidence collection at a 400-series scene with potential contamination?

• A. Follow sterile procedures, minimize contact, use gloves, and document chain-of-custody.
• B. Collect all items without gloves to speed process.
• C. Leave evidence untouched and rely on witness statements.
• D. Only photograph the scene and discard physical evidence.

Answer: (A)

When handling a scene with potential contamination, the priority is to prevent introducing anything new while preserving what’s already there. The best approach is to follow sterile procedures, minimize contact, wear gloves, and document chain-of-custody. Using clean, appropriate tools for each item, avoiding unnecessary handling, and changing gloves between items helps prevent cross-contamination and keeps trace evidence intact. Wearing gloves protects both the evidence and you, and meticulous chain-of-custody documentation ensures a clear, defendable record of who handled each item, when, and how it was stored. Relying on not collecting or just photographing without securing and preserving physical evidence can compromise the ability to analyze and verify details later, which is why the other methods don’t fit a contamination risk scenario.