IIT 330

INVESTIGATIVE
TECHNIQUE
CHAPTER 4: IDENTIFYING AND
ARRESTING SUSPECT
DEVELOPING SUSPECTS
• Information provided by victims, witnesses, and other persons likely to
know about the crime or the suspect
• Physical evidence left at the crime scene
• Psychological profiling
• Information in police files
• Information in the files of other agencies
• Informants
• News media (TV, radio, newsprint) requests to the public for information
• Social media “wanted” feeds
WITNESSES & VICTIMS
• Developing a suspect is much easier if the victim or witnesses can describe
and identify the person who committed the crime.
• Rather than simply asking a witness to describe a suspect, ask specific
questions
• Witnesses may not have observed the actual crime but may have seen a
vehicle leaving the scene and can describe it and its occupants.
• They may have also captured a complete or partial license plate number.
• The prevalence of cell phones with cameras has enabled bystanders to
collect value information that can help police develop criminal suspects.
Identifying the car may lead to identifying the suspect.
• Officers should also check for video from another source near the crime
scene.
• Victims can provide information about who has a motive for the crime,
who has the knowledge required to commit it, and who is not a likely
suspect.
• For example, in an “inside” burglary, the employer may be able to provide
important information about which employees may or may not be suspects
• Eyewitness identification is highly fallible because of factors such as poor
visibility, brief duration, distance, and faulty memory.
• Because of such problems with witness identification, victim or eyewitness
identification of a suspect should be corroborated by as much physical and
circumstantial evidence as possible
BOOKING PHOTOS
• If the victim or witness does not know the suspect but saw
him or her clearly, identification through booking photos
(mug shots) may be attempted.
• However, this procedure, frequently depicted in television
detective shows, is very time-consuming and is of value
only if the suspect has a police record and has been
photographed.
COMPOSITE DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES
• If witnesses can provide adequate
information, a composite image can
be made of the person who
committed the crime.
• Composite drawings are most
commonly used to draw human
faces or full bodies, but they can
also be used for any inanimate
object described by a witness—for
example, vehicles, unusual marks,
symbols or tattoos
MODUS OPERANDI INFORMATION
• Mode of operating
• A series of crimes often creates a recognizable modus operandi (MO).
• For instance, a forger may use the same or a very similar name on
each forgery, or a burglar may take the same type of property.
• If a series of burglaries occurs at the same time of day, this may be
the suspect’s time away from a regular job.
• For example, if several burglaries are committed between 11 a.m. and
1 p.m. in one area of a community and all involve broken glass in a
door, one may infer that the same individual committed the crimes.
MODUS OPERANDI INFORMATION
• Some criminals commit several types of crimes and may change the type
according to need, opportunity, inability to repeat certain types of crimes, or
greater sophistication
• For example, a narcotics user may commit larceny (theft), burglary, or robbery to
obtain money for drugs.
• Check the details of a specific crime against your department’s MO files, as well
as those of surrounding agencies, since criminals are often quite mobile.
• If no similar MO is listed, a new criminal may be starting activity in your area, or
this may be the only crime the suspect intends to commit.
• In such cases, the suspect must be developed through sources other than MO
information, such as information contained in a psychological or criminal profile.
Psychological or Criminal Profiling
and Geographic Profiling
• One method of suspect identification is psychological or criminal
profiling, which attempts to identify an individual’s mental,
emotional, and psychological characteristics.
• Profiles are developed primarily for violent acts such as homicides,
sadistic crimes, sex crimes, arson without apparent motive, and
crimes of serial or ritual sequence.
• Psychological profiling is most often used in crimes against people in
which a motive is unknown. The profile seeks to disclose a possible
motive
Psychological or Criminal Profiling
and Geographic Profiling
• Geographic profiling can also be helpful in identifying suspects who
commit multiple crimes (serial criminals).
• Geographic profiling is based on the fact that everyone has a pattern
to his or her life, particularly in relation to the geographical areas he
or she frequents.
• The serial criminal operates within a comfort zone—near to where he
or she lives but far enough away to remain anonymous and still feel
comfortable because he or she knows the area
IDENTIFYING THE
SUSPECTS
 FIELD OR SHOW-UP IDENTIFICATION
• If a suspect is apprehended while committing a crime, you can have
witnesses identify the suspect.
• The same is generally true if the suspect is apprehended at or near the
crime scene
• Read suspects the Miranda warning before questioning them about a
crime.
• Suspects may refuse to answer questions and may demand a lawyer
before any questioning occurs, but they do not have the right to have a
lawyer present before field identification is made.
• Suspects may not even know such identification is occurring. Victims or
witnesses may be positioned so they can see the suspect but the suspect
cannot see them.
PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION
• Photographs can be obtained through surveillance, from booking
photos, or from driver’s license databases.
• Select pictures of at least six people of comparable race, height,
weight, and general appearance. The photographs can be kept
separate or mounted on a composite board.
• Write a number or code on the back of each photograph to
identify the individual, but do not include any other information,
especially that the person has a criminal record.
• Tell witnesses that they need not identify anyone from among
the photographs and that it is as important to eliminate innocent
people from suspicion as it is to identify the guilty.
• It is unwise to show a single photograph to a victim or witness to
obtain identification.
• Such identification is almost always inadmissible as evidence
because it allows a chance of mistaken identity and improperly
suggests to the witness that the single person shown is the
suspect sought.
• After identification is made, review with the witness the
conditions under which the suspect was seen, including lighting
at the time and distance from the suspect.
• Also ask witnesses just how confident they are in their
identification. Record their statements and the conditions of the
identification and have the witnesses sign the documents
LINEUP IDENTIFICATION
• Lineup identification is commonly used when the
suspect is in custody and there were witnesses to the
crime.
• “At its most basic level, a police lineup involves placing
a suspect among people not suspected of committing
the crime ( fillers) and asking the eyewitness if he or
she can identify the perpetrator”
• Lineups may have from 6 to 10 people. The suspect
must not be of a different race, exceptionally taller or
shorter, have longer or shorter hair, or be dressed very
differently from the others in the lineup
SURVEILLANCE, UNDERCOVER ASSIGNMENTS,
AND RAIDS: THE LAST RESORT
• Surveillance, undercover assignments, and raids are used only when
normal methods of continuing the investigation fail to produce
results.
• These techniques are expensive and potentially dangerous and are
not routinely use
SURVEILLANCE
• The covert, discreet observation of people or places
• Surveillance can aid an investigation in many ways:
A. Verify a witness’s statement about a crime.
B. Gain information required for obtaining and executing a search or arrest
warrant, such as who lives at a property, how many people are there,
what the layout of the property is, and if dogs are present.
C. Gain information necessary for interrogating a suspect.
D. Identify a suspect’s associate
E. Observe members of terrorist organizations
• The surveillant
❑plainclothes investigator who makes the observation

• The subject
❑who or what is being observed. It can be a person, place, property,
vehicle, group of people, organization, or object.
❑People under surveillance are usually suspects in a crime or their
associates.
TYPES OF SURVEILLANCE
❑STATIONARY SURVEILLANCE
➢used when you know or suspect that a person is at or will come to a
known location, when you suspect that stolen goods are to be
dropped or when informants have told you that a crime is going to be
committed

❑MOVING SURVEILLANCE
➢The subjects of moving surveillance are almost always people
➢The first step in planning such a surveillance is to obtain as much
information about the subject as you can
UNDERCOVER ASSIGNMENTS
• The non-uniformed or plainclothes investigator is in a good
position to observe illegal activities and obtain evidence.
• For example, a male plainclothes officer may attempt to
buy stolen goods or drugs or to place illegal bets
• Unlike other forms of surveillance in which a prime
objective is not to be observed, undercover (UC)
surveillants make personal contact with the subject using
an assumed identity, or cover
UNDERCOVER ASSIGNMENTS
Undercover assignments can be designed to
❑Obtain evidence for prosecution.
❑Obtain leads into criminal activities.
❑Check the reliability of witnesses or informants.
❑Gain information about premises for use in later conducting a raid or
an arrest.
❑check the security of a person in a highly sensitive position.
❑Obtain information on or evidence against subversive groups.
RAIDS
• A police raid is a planned, organized operation based on the element of
surprise.
• The objectives of a raid are to recover stolen property, seize evidence, or
arrest a suspect.
• Begin planning a raid by gathering information on the premises to be
raided, including the exact address and points of entry and exit for both the
raiding party and the suspect.
• Obtain a picture or sketch of the building and study the room arrangement
• If children are known or suspected to reside at the location, try to arrange
the raid time for when the children are away at school or, at the least,
asleep, to help avoid hostage situations
• Next, study the suspect’s background. What crimes has the suspect
committed? What difficulties were encountered in making past
arrests? Is the suspect a narcotics addict? An alcoholic? Likely to be
armed? If so, what type of weapon is the suspect likely to wield?
• Obtain the appropriate warrants. Most raids are planned and result
from an arrest warrant.
EXECUTING THE RAIDS
• Surprise, shock, and speed are essential elements
in a raid.
• A raid should occur only after a careful briefing of
all members of the raiding party.
• Each participant must know the objective, who the
suspect is, or what evidence or property is sought
and the exact plan of the raid itself.
• Give each participant proper equipment such as
body armor, weapons, radios, whistles,
megaphones, and signal lights.
PRECAUTIONS IN CONDUCTING RAIDS
• Precautions in conducting raids:
❑Ensure that the raid is legal.
❑Plan carefully.
❑Assign adequate personnel and equipment.
❑Thoroughly brief every member of the raiding party.
❑Be aware of the possibility of surreptitious surveillance devices or
booby traps at the raid site.