Criminal Investigation Unit 1

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Criminal Investigation Unit 1

• Criminal Investigation
• The Function of the Police

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Quotable Quote

• When you have eliminated the impossible,
  whatever remains, however improbable, must be the
  truth.
• - Sherlock Holmes

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• The fishermen of Finland like to fish off the
  coast of Newfoundland.

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What is the function of police in an
investigation?

• Police are responsible for
• 1. Preliminary investigations, and
• 2. Follow-up investigations

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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