Top of Virginia Search and Rescue
Bloodhound Support
Scent
Collection and Preservation
By
Terry Davis
Copyright © February 2001
Written for and by the Virginia Bloodhound Search and Rescue
Association
This paper is written for the purpose of giving individuals, that need to collect or protect a sample of an individual’s scent, the knowledge necessary to preserve human scent for a Bloodhound Team to utilize to trail the subject.
An individual’s scent can be obtained from anything that they have come in contact with, even if others have touched the item. It is preferable that the subject you want to locate, be the last one to come in contact with the object used. But, it is not necessary, if the other subjects that have come in contact with the object are present when the hound is presented the object.
As stated, anything can be utilized for a scent article. The most preferable items are articles that belong to the subject. Clothing and bedding are an excellent source. But, cigarette butts, toothbrushes, dirty diapers, car keys, etc. are also sources that can be utilized to obtain the scent from.
If you are the first or one of the firsts on a scene of a missing person or wanted subject, you need to ask if a scent article has been collected or protected for use by the Bloodhound Team. If not, you should do so immediately.
There are different ways to protect or collect human scent. We will describe the methods on how this should be done, and what items you may need to do this.
One of the first things to remember is that a scent article (This is the object or item that is believed to possess the humans scent that you are after.) needs to be treated like a crime scene. Do not let anyone near it! Assign someone to protect it, rope it off, etc.
If the subject left out of a vehicle, a bedroom, etc. block it off. Don’t let anyone in there until the Bloodhound handler arrives. That way, they can collect a scent article. The handler, would much rather collect their own scent article! If the scent is going to be from an article out in the open, outside in the yard, parking lot, etc. Rope it off, and do this by roping off a large area around the article, not just an area about the same size as the article. If people are allowed to stand close to the article, their scent could be distributed on it.
If it is not possible to leave an area roped off or quardaned off, you will need to collect the article or the scent from the article or area and preserve it for the dog handler. You can do this in a couple different ways.
First, you can bag the article and secure it until the handler arrives. You do this by using a clean plastic bag, zip-lock preferable, a clean (never used) paper bag, and with out touching the article, place it in the bag. Use latex gloves, coat hanger, baton, etc. to pick up the article and place in the bag. If it is a large article (coat), you can utilize a large plastic trash bag. BUT, make sure that it is a bag that has no chemicals in it to neutralize odor or some type of fragrance in it (DO NOT USE THIS TYPE OF BAG.) Close up the bag and place it somewhere no one can have access to it until the handler arrives. Remember if this incident, turns into a criminal case, this article is a piece of the evidence. You need a chain of custody! The person that collects the article or scent should be there when the handler arrives.
Second, if you are unable to leave the article or area secured for the handler to obtain the scent. You can do it. When this is necessary, you can utilize the following procedure for collecting the scent. Take a sterile gauze pad, and without touching the gauze pad, place it on the article or area (weapon, window sill, car seat, doorknob, etc.), and let it set there for five or ten minutes. If the article needs to be packaged for evidence, all you need to do is to place the gauze pad in the evidence bag with the article for the time period and then remove the gauze pad and bag it up separately. This will not threaten the integrity of the evidence. The best way to do this procedure is by wearing latex gloves if it is necessary to handle the gauze or the article. You can also, while holding the bottom outside of the plastic bag, turn the bag inside out over your hand (do not touch the inside of the bag). Then collect the article with this hand pulling the bag back over the article and sealing it.
The handler is going to want to talk to the individual that collects the article. They are going to want to know the procedure of how the article was collected, in detail. They are going to be very particular about this process. This is because, if this procedure is not done correctly or the handler does not know the exact details of how the collection was done, it could determine whether or not the Bloodhound Unit will be successful.
Bloodhound handlers have gotten incorrect information regarding the scent articles that they have been given. So, they are going to need to know this information. Or, they may decline to utilize it, and request to go collect their own. You need to understand this. They want to get started as quickly as you want them to get started. But, they also know that “You need the correct Key in order to open the box to get to the Reward”! If they get the wrong key there is no way they are going to get the reward!
THINK ABOUT IT!