Answer

Collection of Evidence and CODIS 

Description of the proper procedure for collecting and preserving paint evidence from an automobile suspected of being involved in a hit and run incident

           Paint is one of the sources of evidence in hit and run cases. It has the ability to prove a viable link between victim and the car in question and it servers as valuable evidence. Therefore, the right process should be adhered to when collecting and preserving this evidence as follows. First and foremost, the crime scene should be secured. The area should be photographed without any hindrance (Wolfe, 2017). Secondly, the investigators should collect the paint sample by scraping or peeling carefully or by use of knives or a short strip of plastic tape. Thirdly, the paint fragments collected need to be put in a paper packet or envelope. Fourthly, the tool used to scrape the paint should be wiped carefully before collecting samples from a different location to prevent cross contamination (Xu & Wang, 2017).

            Sixthly, loose paint chips found near need to be collected and stored in prescribed containers as they might have fallen off. In addition, the known contaminated samples adjacent to every collected transfer should also be sent to the lab. This is specifically required to distinguish transferred paint and original paint of the vehicle. Preservation is key by keeping different samples in different papers or containers (Yermekov & Begaliyev, 2018). Card board pill boxes or glass vials should be used for preserving the samples to protect from breakage or damage and plastic containers avoided. In addition, the containers should contain the name of the collector, the date and time of collection and the location of the sample collection area and its source. Lastly, the foreign paint on the hood needs to be carefully examined and extracted. The automobile needs to be submitted to the lab if the sample is small or difficult to extract (Yermekov & Begaliyev, 2018).

In conclusion broken lenses or other parts available at the scene should also be collected and submitted along with the paint evidence. Nothing as viable evidence should be withheld upon submission to be analyzed

Description of what CODIS is and how it is useful to forensics scientists

               CODIS stands for Combined DNA Index System and is the software used to run databases wielded to describe the FBIs program of support for criminal justice DNA databases. It combines forensic science and computer technology into an objectified tool to link violent crimes to perpetrators of the crimes (McGlynn, 2019). It was made to compare a target DNA record against the records in the database. This enables the federal, state and local forensic labs exchange and compare DNA profiles linking crimes and offenders (McGlynn, 2019).

                CODIS helps link unknown samples to already convicted offenders helping investigators name unidentified suspects. It also connects unknown samples to solved cases. CODIS helps in excluding suspects from the list helping investigators change focus to more pressing matters (McGlynn, 2019). CODIS helps to link two or more unsolved cases helping investigators search similarities in crimes helping provide insight whether the crimes occurred in different jurisdictions and compare victim statements. CODIS is used by investigators to search matches and generate investigative leads (Zeevi, 2019).

In conclusion CODIS helps fasten investigative processes by narrowing down the suspects. It helps the DNA information to be taken immediately after arrest rather than waiting for a conviction. CODIS helps to save time and money needed for investigations for more cases to have ample time to be addressed.