Criminal Investigation:

An observant police officer can initiate an important criminal investigation

Criminal investigation combines art and science

Requires extraordinary preparation and training

High-tech society

Citizens expect results more quickly

Investigators need to step up their technology and teamwork skills

Key Definitions:

Investigate - derived from Latin, vestigare ( to track or trace )

Criminal investigation – discovering, collecting, preparing, identifying and presenting evidence

Deductive reasoning – logical process; conclusion follows from specific facts

Terms: Criminalist, Forensic science, Crime, Felony, Misdemeanor

Criminal statute, Ordinance, Elements of the crime, Criminal intent, Modus operandi or MO,

Goals of Criminal investigations

Successful Investigation

- Determine whether a crime has been committed

- Legally obtain information and evidence to identify the responsible person
- Arrest the suspect
- Recover stolen property
- Present the best possible case to te prosecutor

Basic Functions of Investigators

- Provide emergency assistance

- Secure the crime scene
- Photograph, videotape and sketch
- Take notes and write reports
- Search for, obtain and process physical evidences
- Obtain inforamtion from witnesses and suspects
- Identify suspects
- Conduct raids, surveillances, stakeouts and undercover assignments
- Testify in court
Characteristics of an Effective Investigator

Specific Character traits - intellectual, psychological and physical

Investigative process:

Usually initiated by personal observation or information from a citizen

Starts with a direction to proceed to a scene

Department policy defines who responds

Department policy defines duties of indiciduals

The Preliminary Investigation: Basic Considerations

 The initial response

Suspect may still be at or near the scene
Injured persons may need emergency care
Witnesses may still be at the scene
Dying person may have confession/information
Weather may change / destroy evidence
Crime scene may be altered

 Point of Arrival
Scene may be either utter confusion or deserted

 Setting Prorities
Handle emergencies first
Secure the scene
Investigate

 Handling Emergency Situations

Sometimes emergencies dictate procedure
Emergency situations cause the adrenaline to flow

 Suspect at or Near the Scene

Policy determines interrogations
Miranda warning

 Person is seriously injured

Emergency first aid
Call for medical assistance
Accompany suspects to hospital
  Dead body at scene
Leave the body as found
Preserve the scene

 Protecting the Crime Scene

Major responsibility of the first officers to arrive
Locards’s principle of exchange
Scene is critical
Maintain security
Protect from destruction or alteration from the elements

 Conducting the Preliminary Investigation

Questioning
Neighborhood canvass
Measuring, photographing, videotaping and sketching
Searching for evidence
Processing physical evidence
Recording all statements

Crime Scene Investigators:

Scientific Specialist

- Specialist in organized scientific collection and processing of evidence

- Processes and packages all physical evidence
- Attends and documents autopsies
- Writes reports and testifies in court
- Crime scene technology degree

The Follow-Up Investigation

Factors for Follow-up

- Many cases require a follow-up investigation

- Factors exist that are beyond the officers’ control
- Weather can destroy evidence
- Witnesses can be uncooperative
- Follow-up phase builds on what was learned
Computer-Aided Investigation

Crime Analysis, Mapping and Geographical information Systems

- Crime mapping and hot spots

Data Mining

- Sifting through information

- Helps narrow the field of possible suspects

Problem-Oriented Policing

Department-Wide Strategy

- Aimed at solving persisitent community problems

- Identify, analyze and respond
- Used in crimnal investigations in many ways
- Combining prob;em-oriented strategies with traditional investigative techniques

Investigative Productivity

Productivity

- Interest in the police field for some time

- All jobs have some standard of productivity
- Traditional evaluation ( Number of cases assigned and type of case assigned )
- Continuous evaluation

The Investigative Function: the Responsibility of All Police Personnel

Specialization Need:

- Criminals and their MOs

- Investigative techniques
- Leaving assigned shifts
- Heavy patrol workloads
- Increasing efficiency

Interrelationships with Others – Community Policing

Community Policing Relationships

- Uniformed patrol, dispatchers, prosecutors

- Physicians, coroners and medical examiners
 - Forensic crime laboratories
- Citizens, victims, witnesses, media

Major-Case task Forces

Combined task Forces

- Necessary for many crimes involving drugs, gangs and terrorism

- Multidisciplinary approach
- Multijurisdictional investigation
- Metro crime teams
- Special investigation units

Law Enforcement Resources

Federal law Enforcement

- Numerous resources
- Aid local and state agencies

Interpol

- International Criminal Police Organizations

- Computerized database is available to law enforcement agencies worldwide

Avoiding Civil Liability

Civil Liability

- Effective policies and procedures clearly communicated to all

- Thorough and continous training
- Poper supervision and discipline
- Accurate, thorough police reports

Summary

- Determine whether a crime has been committed

- Legally obtain sufficient information and evidence
- Locate and arrest the suspect
- Recover stolen property
- Present the best possible case to the prosecutor
- Cooperation and coordination of efforts are also required outside the police department
- Criminal invvestigation is, indeed, a mutual effort
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