If you have ever seen a crime scene, you have probably seen yellow police tape set up around it. The tape may have words like “Caution” or “Crime Scene Do Not Cross.” The tape indicates an area where citizens cannot cross to enter the active crime scene.
This article will cover the common reasons why a police officer would set up yellow tape around a crime scene. With this knowledge, you can know what rights you have when you encounter this tape.
Preserve the Evidence
An active crime scene may have blood, fingerprints, footprints, human tissue, and all kinds of other evidence left behind. For police detectives and investigators to find out what happened at the scene, they need to prevent unauthorized access until crime scene investigators can collect all the evidence.
Otherwise, any unauthorized access could contaminate or disturb the evidence, making it more difficult for investigators to find out what happened. So, no unauthorized people are allowed to cross the yellow tape.
Protect the Public
Some crime scenes may have hazardous materials or situations present. These scenes may have things such as gas leaks, fallen power lines, downed trees, active fires, broken glass, car accident debris, and anything else that may risk harming a person.
In these situations, the police will put up yellow tape around the perimeter to signal for people to stay away from this area. People may not understand why they need to stay away. But since there is yellow tape there, they are required to keep out.
Who Can Go Past the Yellow Tape?
The only people allowed to pass the yellow tape are emergency responders who work for the public, such as police officers, firefighters, crime scene investigators, paramedics, and first responders. Anyone who is not an emergency responder is not allowed to cross the yellow tape.
It is okay for an ordinary citizen to walk up to the yellow tape. They can even ask an emergency responder questions if they are close to the tape on the other side. However, a citizen who breaks the yellow tape or sneaks past it into the protected area can be arrested and charged with obstructing a police investigation.
Most people caught crossing the yellow tape will usually get punished with a small fine. On the other hand, some states will put people in prison for more than a year. These situations happen only if they do something to significantly disturb the crime scene or make an existing hazard worse.
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Conclusion
Police tape plays an important role in protecting the public from impacting a crime scene. Therefore, if you see police tape, the best thing to do is stay away from it to avoid legal problems.