Cordoning
Definition
Marking the scene boundary with tape, rope or barriers to control entry and protect evidence.
- Materials used
- Tape, rope, physical barriers
- Primary purpose
- Control entry to the scene
- Secondary purpose
- Protect evidence from loss or contamination
Common questions
Who is allowed past a cordoned boundary?+
Only personnel with a specific investigative role, logged in and out through a single common entry point, so the scene log can account for every person who could have introduced contamination or disturbed evidence.
Is cordoning the same as securing a scene?+
Cordoning is one part of securing a scene. Securing also covers documenting who has access, protecting evidence from weather, and preventing unauthorised removal of items, of which the physical boundary is only the visible piece.
Related terms
- Crime Scene
- Any physical location where a criminal act has occurred or where evidence of it can reasonably be found. Indian practice extends this...
- Indoor Scene
- A scene enclosed by built structure (room, house, shop). Easier to protect from weather and intruders.
- Macro Scene
- The overall scene viewed as one whole (the room, the field, the vehicle interior).
- Micro Scene
- Small high-yield zones within the macro scene (the body, the point of forced entry, the weapon position, blood pools).
- Mobile Scene
- A scene in a moving conveyance (car, train, boat, aircraft). Combines outdoor-style exposure with confined-space search problems.
- Outdoor Scene
- An open-air scene (field, road, forest). Most vulnerable to weather, animals and unauthorised entry.
- Primary Scene
- The location where the main criminal event occurred: where the body was found, where the attack took place, where a safe was...
- Secondary Scene
- Any location linked to the crime but separate from the main event: a vehicle used to transport a victim, a disposal site,...
- SOCO
- Scene Of Crime Officer; a trained forensic officer or team responsible for documentation, search, collection and forwarding of evidence.