The Underwater Crime Scene: Underwater Crime Investigative Techniques.

Most research concerning crime scene investigation focuses primarily on land procedures. Considering the fact that more than 70 percent of the earth's surface is water, understanding proper underwater investigation techniques is critical for a successful operation.

The author, a dive team specialist, lawyer, police investigator, and instructor of criminal investigation and forensic science, thoroughly establishes the need for effective underwater investigations by illustrating the recovery of underwater evidence in several disciplines, including field and marine archaeology, criminalistics, and forensic science. His examples include boat arsons, homicides, suicides, drownings, vehicle entombment, vessel and air crashes, abandoned contraband, weapons and vehicles, recovery and reconstruction of vessels and cargo, and recovery of artifacts from sunken cities.

The author's format is understandable and informative. He uses historical facts, examples, and sketches to address a variety of topics. These include legal liability, information gathering, team building, search methods, temporal and geographical plotting of evidence, underwater excavation, evidence handling, medicolegal aspects of underwater death, and courtroom presentation. Bold subheadings in each section make information easy to locate.

The book's final chapter highlights future trends in underwater investigation. Topics include technology, recovery teams, training and education, university and college responsibility, and agency needs.

Although the book is geared toward the experienced diver, many novice and nondivers will find The Underwater Crime Scene useful. The author describes underwater investigative procedures familiar to land investigators, such as protecting the crime scene, interviewing witnesses, and maintaining a proper chain of custody. In many chapters, checklist summaries provide a practical guide for those utilizing underwater, as well as land, investigative techniques.

The Underwater Crime Scene serves as a practical guide for law enforcement and fire/rescue divers and supervisors, as well as for educators in underwater investigation. The author presents his discussions clearly and offers critical life-saying, evidence recovery, and crime scene techniques not found in other investigation texts.

Reviewed by Tod W. Burke, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Criminal Justice Radford University Radford, Virginia