The purpose of evidence tape is to play a crucial role in evidence collection by securely sealing and cataloging evidence at the scene. Evidence tape is commonly encountered in our environment and is often seen as evidence in crimes committed against individuals such as kidnappings and homicides. The primary purpose of tagging and marking items of evidence is so that investigators can easily identify those items at a later date. The tagging, labeling, and marking of the evidence adds credibility and control to our ability to identify the item. The important chain of custody for the evidence at a crime scene usually starts with the collection done by the investigator-technician. The marking and labeling begins our control and custody of the items of evidence. The chain of custody is defined as the witnessed, written record of all of the individuals who maintained unbroken control over the items of evidence. It establishes the proof that the items of evidence collected at the crime scene are the same evidence that is being presented in a court of law. All evidence collected at the crime scene should be tagged. If the item cannot be tagged, then it should be labeled or marked. Consistency should always be adhered to in the information that is used for marking and labeling the evidence. Evidence tape is also used to alert other people to the importance of the contents of the bag or box in which the evidence is stored. Finally, tape evidence is often submitted for latent print or DNA examinations to identify individuals who handled the tape. Physical and chemical examinations can also be performed on tape evidence.