Unit 6: Drug Recognition and Evidence

Some Important Cautionary Rules in Collecting Drug Substances

Some of the points summarized below have been made elsewhere in this section. However, because of their importance to the safety and health of the investigating officer, they bear repeating.

• IF AN ILLICIT LABORATORY OPERATION IS ENCOUNTERED AND A SCIENTIST FROM THE CRIME LABORATORY IS NOT PRESENT, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SHUT DOWN THE OPERATION. VENTILATE THE AREA, CALL FOR ASSISTANCE AND WAIT OUTSIDE. IF AN ILLICIT LABORATORY OPERATION IS ANTICIPATED, INCLUDE A MEMBER OF THE CRIME LABORATORY STAFF IN THE RAID.
  
  
• NEVER TASTE ANY MATERIAL SUSPECTED OF BEING A CONTROLLED DRUG.
  
  
• NEVER SMELL MATERIALS SUSPECTED OF CONTAINING CONTROLLED DRUGS.
  
  
• DO NOT HANDLE CONTROLLED DRUGS MORE THAN IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. AFTER DRUGS HAVE BEEN HANDLED, WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
  
  
• HANDLE ALL CHEMICAL MATERIALS RECOVERED WITH CARE. THEY MAY BE HIGHLY FLAMMABLE, CAUSTIC (BURN THE FLESH) OR SUSCEPTIBLE TO EXPLOSION.
  
  
• USE PARTICULAR CARE IN SEARCHING A DRUG SUSPECT, AN AUTOMOBILE SUSPECTED OF CONTAINING DRUGS OR ANY AREA WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HYPODERMIC SYRINGES OR MAKESHIFT NEEDLES MAY BE HIDDEN. EVEN SLIGHT PRICKS IN THE SKIN FROM SUCH NEEDLES CAN BE DANGEROUS IF THE DRUG
  USER HAS A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE. INFECTIOUS HEPATITIS IS COMMON AMONG PERSONS WHO “SHOOT” DRUGS. IF THE SKIN IS PUNCTURED, WASH THE AREA WITH SOAP AND WATER AND GET MEDICAL ATTENTION.