Aimed at courses on evidence and investigation, criminalistics, and forensic science in criminal justice, law and security administration, and police foundations programs. The text is also ideal for introductory university-level courses offered by anthropology, sociology, and criminology departments. Designed to fulfill the need for a concise, practical manual in criminalistics, this text will appeal to those involved in law enforcement, whether students or professionals working in the field. The book concentrates on the detection, gathering, preservation, and presentation of physical evidence; it can, therefore, serve as a guide to the management of crime scenes. The authors succeed in their goal to avoid overly theoretical discussion in favour of clear explanations, and in doing so have provided a text that will ensure a more professional approach to solving problems of evidence and proof that is so crucial to the administration of justice.