Criminal Investigation

Unit 1
Criminal Investigation
The Function of the Police
What are the intended
goals of this course?
• The intended goals of this course are:
1. To discern information and turn it
into life-long knowledge, and
2. To develop critical thinking skills
in order to help you:
- Make good decisions that will
enable you to be successful in life
 Quotable Quote
“It is my belief, Watson, founded
upon my experience, that the lowest
and vilest alleys of London do not
present a more dreadful record of
sin than does the smiling beautiful
countryside.”
- Sherlock Holmes
What is a criminal
investigation?

• A criminal investigation is a lawful

search for people and things useful in:
1. Reconstructing the circumstances
of an illegal act or omission, and
2. The mental state accompanying
it
Criminal Investigation
continued:
• It is the probing of the known and
the unknown, backward in time
• Its goal is to determine the truth as
far as it can be discovered in any
post-factum (after-the-fact) inquiry
Criminal Investigation
continued:
• Successful investigations are based
on:
1. Fidelity, accuracy, and sincerity in
lawfully searching for the facts, and
2. Exactness, faithfulness, and
integrity in reporting the results
What factors make up of
a criminal investigation?
• There are three (3) factors involved
in a successful investigation:
1. Intuition – An act of perception
or understanding without reasoning
2. Routine plodding legwork, and
3. Microscopic examination and
laboratory analysis
 Quotable Quote

“When you have eliminated the

impossible, whatever remains,
however improbable, must be the
truth”.
- Sherlock Holmes
The fishermen of Finland like to fish off
the coast of Newfoundland.
PARIS IN THE
THE
SPRING
What is the function of
police in an investigation?
• Police are responsible for:
1. Preliminary investigations, and
2. Follow-up investigations
What is the purpose of a
preliminary investigation?
• The purpose of a preliminary
investigation is to:
1. Arrest the guilty person at the
scene, or in flight from the
place of the crime
2. Process the crime scene, and
3. Record all factual data
Who conducts the
preliminary investigation?
• Generally, preliminary investigations
are part of the duties and
responsibilities of the first police
officer(s) to arrive at the scene.
• Generally, the first officer(s) on the
scene are uniformed officers
assigned to the patrol division
What are the duties of the
preliminary investigator?
• Assess the crime scene:
1. Establish whether a crime has been
committed
- Determine the type of crime by
category, and the specific classification
2. Arrest the perpetrator of the
crime where possible
Duties of preliminary
investigators continued:
• Locate and interview the victim(s)
and/or any witness(es)
1. Obtain and accurately record
their identity, addresses,
telephone numbers, and other
necessary data for future contact
2. Record what they saw or heard
Duties of preliminary
investigators continued:
• Develop information on suspects
1. Obtain any available
information on the suspect(s)
and/or vehicle(s) used, and the
direction of flight
2. Broadcast descriptions to other
police as an alarm and/or a want
Duties of preliminary
investigators continued:
• Determine the extent of the crime
scene
• Protect the crime scene
1. Do not allow anyone access to
the crime scene unless they have
the authorization to enter
Duties of preliminary
investigators continued:
• Search the crime scene for any items
that are of evidential value, or likely to
be of evidential value
• Mark evidence for identification
• Protect evidence from change, loss,
damage, or contamination through
custody and control of it
• Take measurements
Duties of preliminary
investigators continued:
• Determine how the crime was
committed
• Determine the extent of any personal
injuries to the victim(s)
• Determine the nature and value of all
property taken, damaged, and/or
destroyed
Duties of preliminary
investigators continued:
• Record in field notes and sketches all
available data about the crime to include:
1. The stories of victims and
witnesses
2. The crime scene search, evidence
found, and the disposition of the evidence
Duties of preliminary
investigators continued:
3. Measurements taken at the scene,
and other pertinent information
4. Photographs taken of the crime
scene and location of all evidence
5. Make or prepare all required
reports
Duties of preliminary
investigators continued:
• To recap:
1. The focus of the preliminary
investigator is: “The scene of the
crime”
2. The first step is an accurate
survey of the surroundings and a
careful evaluation of the situation
Duties of preliminary
investigators continued:
3. The impact of the overall
picture will provide guidelines for a
plan of action
4. The work of the preliminary
investigator concentrates on four
of the basic elements of the
investigation:
Duties of preliminary
investigators continued:
- Search the crime scene
- Collect and preserve all items
- Locate and interview victims
and witnesses
- Establish a time-line of
events