Often during criminal investigations into robberies, thefts and murders, law enforcement officials find that they used special tools or tools. They can either be specially made for this, or have a simple household value. However, regardless of their type, after using them, traces of breaking tools can be detected. After that, experts must take up the matter directly. They conduct a study of traces of hacking tools, so that after that it can be established which particular tool left them.
The concept of hacking tools
Before proceeding directly to understanding the classification of traces of hacking tools, one should understand what is directly understood by the term "hacking tool". At the moment, this concept means any solid object like an ax, crowbar, pipe or any other tools that can be used to overcome an existing obstacle. Best for this are locksmith or carpentry tools that can quickly and efficiently open a door. In addition, tools that are specially made for a criminal purpose are assigned to a separate group: master keys for the lock, crowbar, goose paw and others.
All of them help to carry out hacking, that is, illegally enter the locked room by removing the lock or other locking device from work, as well as breaking down walls or other obstacles.
Types of guns
At the moment, all the hacking tools can be conditionally divided into several groups, depending on what effect they have on the surface:
1. The first thing is cutting objects. These include various knives and scissors.
2. A chisel, an ax or a scrap are classified as chopping and mortising, since they can simultaneously perform both functions.
3. Sawing tools include not only saws, but also files.
4. Drills and maces have a drilling effect on the surface, and therefore belong to this type of tools.
All of the above items relate to mechanical tools and instruments. However, in addition to this, they can be thermal. Experts include gas and electric devices that can be designed to weld and cut metal objects.
Classification
Traces of hacking tools and tools are directly studied by a special science - trasology, occupying a whole section in it. He is engaged in the study of various hacking tools and tools, as well as locks and locking devices.
Depending on how they interact with the barrier, it is customary to distinguish the following traces of breaking tools. They always appear individually, because they reflect not only the general contours of the tools, but also the structure of the working surface of the tool and cutting edges.
Pressure traces
Most often of all types of traces of hacking tools, traces of pressure are manifested. They remain after the barrier gets hit or pressure is directly applied to it by a hacking tool. Such traces appear in the form of a volumetric image of the surface, which are mirrored and have a reverse relief. The number of features and details that are displayed after impacts, as well as their depth, completely depends on what kind of force is put into the impact, and also what is the plasticity of the material itself.
Slip marks
Another common trail of hacking tools is traces of slipping. They appear only when a hacking tool or tool interacts with the surface at various degrees. Because of this, the tip of the gun itself continues to move, leaving parallel grooves on the object to be cracked. In science, they are called tracks. They can be quite voluminous, since it leaves their working part of the edge of the gun.
Cutting marks
Another type of hacking marks are cutting marks that remain after the item has been chopped, sawn or drilled. During hacking, the cutting edge of the used objects moves along the surface, which is why various paths or irregularities appear. They can be both well-defined and barely distinguishable. However, most often the complete picture of the use of cutting hacking objects leaves heterogeneous traces even in one small area, since weak and deep scratches can alternate at the same time. In particular, this difference depends on how sharpened the tool used is, as well as on the width of its cutting edge.
Typology
All mechanical traces according to the typology, which is currently accepted in trasology, are divided into 2 types:
1. Static, that is, those that appear after they have had a lever, impact or mortising effect on the surface.
2. Dynamic - traces of sliding, cutting, drilling, sawing belong to such traces. In addition, traces of the influence of instruments having a specific structure are also commonly referred to them.
Trace analysis at the scene
Direct fixation of traces of a hacking tool at the scene of an incident is one of the mandatory procedures. With the help of the analysis, it is possible to determine with precision what method was hacked, which tool was used, as well as the growth and physical strength of the offender. This can be done on the basis of the fact how much force was applied and whether he had the ability to use this weapon.
All these data are incredibly important in order to subsequently find the offender and prove his responsibility. After the examination, the expert should give exhaustive questions about what type of tool was used, whether one tool or several of them were used, as well as a number of others that can help the investigation.
Fixing traces of hacking tools
After carrying out the first analyzes, the experts must fix the traces so that they could subsequently be attached to the case file. For this, simple scale shooting is most often used. Photographs should clearly record all the places where these traces appeared. Each of them takes about 2-3 photos, and they are taken with a different direction of light, so that you can see all the features.
In addition to photographs, schematic sketches are also made. Subsequently, they highlight the characteristic features of the tracks, specific to this situation. In the future, such a scheme helps to determine which objects should be checked for examination.
An important evidence is also the protocol for the inspection of the scene of the incident, which should contain data on all available tracks, their depth and appearance, as well as the presence of foreign substances that appeared as a result of the use of hacking tools.
Seizure procedure
As soon as all traces are recorded in the protocol, the procedure begins to remove traces of hacking tools. Quite often, they are directly extracted completely with the subject on which they are located, except in cases where it can cause irreparable harm to valuable objects that can be avoided. If it is impossible to completely remove the item, then only the part that directly bears the traces is taken, but explanatory notes are necessarily made on it about where the piece came from. In addition, all shavings, sawdust and chips, as well as other particles of the separated material, are also taken, since quite often with their help you can come close to determining the breaking tool.
If there is no possibility to make an exemption, then the existing traces are copied. When there are very deep grooves and scratches, for their copying the creation of casts from plaster, plasticine or various pastes is used. After the mold has been created, it is moved to a special packaging so as not to be damaged during transportation. For smaller damage, photo paper, rubber, or even fingerprinting is used.
Traces of the walls are removed using plaster casts, as well as large cardboard boxes that help to keep the mixture in an upright position until it hardens. However, the hardening pastes that are used by dentists are recognized as the best material in this area, since the whole picture is well displayed on their surface.
Conclusion
Quite often, at the crime scene, one can find various traces of hacking tools, as well as directly the objects themselves that were used for this. Such traces on the surfaces can give a lot of information about the wanted criminal, therefore they should not only be properly analyzed at the scene of the incident, but also clearly recorded and correctly removed, not only in order to subsequently conduct an examination, but also so that the materials can take advantage of the investigator. That is why this industry of trasology is constantly evolving and remains relevant. The development of modern technology helps with greater ease and accuracy to get the whole picture of the incident, as well as to immediately carry out the necessary analyzes. At the moment, in forensics, the study of hacking tools and the traces they leave is considered one of the priority topics for study and practical use.