What is the purpose of marking evidence containers?

Marking evidence containers serves multiple essential functions, but a primary purpose is to keep track of the evidence. This practice ensures that each item collected during an investigation is accurately documented, preserving its origin and integrity throughout the investigative process. By clearly labeling containers, investigators can maintain a comprehensive record of what was collected, when, and from where, thus allowing them to reconstruct the scene and understand the context of the evidence.

This tracking is crucial not only for immediate investigative purposes but also for future reference in legal proceedings. Accurate tracking aids in maintaining the integrity of the evidence, making it easier to reference the items during court proceedings and ensuring that the evidence has not been tampered with or contaminated.

While other aspects such as indicating where it was found, aiding in the investigation process, and providing a chain of custody are important, they are secondary to the principal function of keeping track of the evidence, which ultimately underpins all other investigative efforts.