Final answer:
The statement that crime scene sketching is performed before photographing the scene is false; Photographs are taken first to provide an unaltered record, while sketching is used later to highlight and annotate details.
Step-by-step explanation:
In general, crime scene sketching is performed before photographing the scene. This statement is false. Crime scene sketching is typically conducted after the initial photographs of the crime scene have been taken. The photographs serve to capture the scene as it was found, in an unaltered state, which is critical for accurate documentation and potential evidence. Sketching, however, allows for the highlighting of specific details and spatial relationships that photographs alone might not convey. While a sketch can ignore irrelevant details and emphasize important aspects with annotations, initial photographs provide an objective baseline record of the crime scene.
Just as geologists use sketches in the field to highlight important aspects of their observations, law enforcement professionals create crime scene sketches to capture details in a way that photos cannot. Unlike sketches, which can be annotated and emphasized as needed, photographs should be taken before any changes occur at the scene, ensuring a factual and untampered record.