Tips for Law Enforcement

When submitting a Service Request Form , the case agent or officer should be as concise and thorough as possible. These forms are used to make decisions about the request, therefore, any vague or ambiguous terminology may make it more difficult to interpret or understand what services are needed. This may slow down the processing of the request.

Please indicate on the Service Request Form, any efforts on your part or anyone else in the chain of custody, to turn on or access the computer prior to submitting it to the Chicago RCFL. This is very important information for the Examiners to have.

Important Note:
Exercise caution while handling sensitive computer equipment. In situations where the casing of a computer is open and the internal working are exposed, there is danger of damaging the computer because of the buildup of static electricity that is held by the human body. The hard drive is especially susceptible to static electricity, even if it is exposed to a small amount of voltage, and a microchip can be damaged with as little as 500 volts of static electricity. (Walking across a rug can produce a static electricity voltage of up to 12,000 volts.) Static electricity, at very low levels may not even be felt by a person, but can still cause damage to a hard drive or a microchip. It is best to let a professional handle the equipment or take precautionary measures such as grounding the static electricity before touching any of the internal components of the computer.

Examination Best Practices FAQ Sheet (File information: ExaminationBestPractices.doc; 453 KB; Last Modified: 04/21/05)