(Keywords: photography takes precedence, hand-drawn sketch, spatial relationships )

The IELTS reading passage details the systematic procedures followed by law enforcement and Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCOs) to preserve and collect evidence for legal proceedings. The following report synthesizes the core content of the text and provides the typical answers found in related IELTS practice tests. Core Investigation Procedures

C. Following documentation, the search for physical evidence commences. This often involves a "grid search" or a "spiral search" pattern to ensure every inch of the ground is covered. Common forms of evidence include fingerprints, bodily fluids, hair, and fibers. A central tenet of forensic science is Locard’s Exchange Principle, formulated by Dr. Edmond Locard. This principle posits that whenever two objects come into contact, there is a transfer of material. Therefore, a criminal inevitably leaves traces of themselves behind and takes traces of the environment with them.