Police Administration Act 1978

During the period a crime scene is maintained, the responsible member has the power to do any of the following:

direct a person to leave the crime scene or remove a thing or animal from the crime scene;

remove from the crime scene:

a person who fails to comply with a direction to leave the crime scene; or

a thing or animal that a person fails to remove from the crime scene;

direct a person not to enter the crime scene;

prevent a person from entering the crime scene;

prevent a person from removing a thing from or otherwise interfering with the crime scene or anything at the crime scene and, for that purpose, stop, detain and search the person;

remove or direct the removal of an obstruction from the crime scene;

conduct necessary investigations, including by searching the crime scene and inspecting anything at the crime scene to obtain evidence of the commission of a relevant offence;

seize and detain all or part of a thing that might provide evidence of the commission of a relevant offence;

open anything at the crime scene that is locked;

take electricity, gas or any other utility for use at the crime scene;

direct the occupier, or a person apparently involved in the management or control, of the place where the crime scene is located to maintain a continuous supply of electricity at the crime scene;

photograph or otherwise record the crime scene and anything at the crime scene;

dig up anything at the crime scene;

remove walls, ceilings or floors of a building at the crime scene;

dismantle anything in or at the crime scene;

exercise any other power that:

it is reasonably necessary to exercise; or

is reasonably incidental to a power conferred by this subsection.

The power conferred by subsection (1)(h) to seize and detain a thing at the crime scene includes the power:

to remove the thing from the crime scene; and

to guard the thing at the crime scene.

Crime scene powers may also be exercised by other members of the

A member or person assisting the responsible member at the crime scene is subject to the directions of the responsible member.