Area Canvass Flashcards
What are the purposes of an area canvass?
Often links exist between the scene of a crime and the offender, victim, and witnesses. A methodically conducted area canvass therefore presents a high likelihood of identifying or contacting the offender, an associate of the offender, significant witnesses, identifying evidence or exhibits and establishing significant facts.
The offender had to move into and out of the area around the scene in order to access the scene itself and it is not uncommon for the offender to reside within the canvass area. A canvass can therefore identify witnesses to the movements of the offender before and after the offence occurred, as well as witnesses to the actual offence.
What are the responsibilities of the OC Area Canvass?
The OC Area Canvass reports to the OC Investigation and together must ensure the canvass is conducted thoroughly and recorded accurately.
The OC Area Canvass must ensure the area canvass team remains focused and that the canvass results in efficient use of resources and the return of relevant and manageable information and material.
What are the main objectives of an area canvass?
- Identifying the offender
- Identifying and locating evidence, such as vehicles, discarded clothing, weapons and other articles
- Identifying witnesses
- Gathering information
What are other benefits of conducting an area canvas (aside from the main objectives)?
- Sightings of the victim or offender before or after the event
- Sightings of relevant property or vehicles
- Sightings of potential witnesses
- Creating the opportunity for an early arrest through early identification of the offender
- Obtaining key information to drive the investigation or develop lines of enquiry
- Promoting awareness of significant occurrences
- Eliminating unidentified vehicles or persons reported by other witnesses
- Obtaining an accurate record of the local community
Why is it important in some cases to conduct an area canvass at the same time as the offence?
To capture people who regularly pass through the area at that time of day (e.g., homicide of a person in a park in the early hours of the morning).
When deciding on the parameters for the area to be canvassed, what are some relevant locations?
- Where the victim, witnesses, and offender have been present
- Where the offences have taken place
- Where vehicles, property or exhibits have been found
- Premises within the line of sight of scenes
- Access and egress routes to and from scenes
- Areas where an offender may have lain in wait
- Location where the victim was last seen alive
- Locations or premises frequented by the victim
- Locations of similar or previous incidents identified by intelligence as having occurred in the same locality as the offence under investigation
Once the location parameters are set, intelligence systems should be analysed to established if there are any people or events in the area which those carrying out the enquiries should be aware of. This may include:
- Violent offenders
- Persons wanted by Police for other crimes or wanted on warrant
- Groups with particular linguistic or cultural needs
- Local incidents or issues which residents may raise with Police
For an area canvass, time parameters should be set for:
- The offence (times between which the offence is thought to have occurred)
- The scene (times when people visited the scene)
- Sightings (times at which a victim, other witnesses, or offender was seen at particular locations)
- Previous residents and visitors at the scene
- Consideration of people’s varying work times
For an area canvass, witnesses may include people who have witnessed:
- Events connected to an incident under investigation
- Sightings of the victim or offender before or after the events
- Sightings of other potential witnesses
- Sightings of relevant property or vehicles
What resources should OC Canvass seek to obtain?
Suitable street maps, aerial photographs showing houses and the location of sections, geological information, local council records and other applicable references.
Consideration can be given to open-source Internet applications, Police intelligence systems, and public libraries to obtain resources.
How can specialist Police units such as the Behavioural Science Unit or criminal or geographic profilers assist the area canvass during the planning stage?
They may be consulted to assist with setting parameters or identifying locations where suspects are likely to frequent or reside.
What alternative approaches can be made to area canvass?
- Media
- Poster campaign
- Mail Drop
- High profile Police presence, using a caravan
What are the key points for canvass team briefings?
- Summarise the situation and detail the duties and areas of responsibility of each canvass team member
- Emphasise the need for thoroughness and that every person in every household and visitors must be seen personally
- Stress that the questionnaire is only a guide to ensure the questions are asked, but should be regarded as flexible in that information supplied could lead to other questions
- Advise that evidence of possible probative value must be obtained in a formal written statement rather than notebook form. The questionnaire must be endorsed, if a statement is taken
- Consider visiting the canvas area to record every address including flats and vacant sections and then reconcile these premises with the map
- Ensure all forms are completed, and actioned as outlined
- Reconcile completed locations with the master copy to avoid duplication
- Advise staff on:
- What action to take if they believe they have identified the suspect
- What action to take if they locate items of evidential value
- What action to take if individuals refuse to assist
- How to complete the correspondence flow
- What information can be disclosed during the area canvass (i.e. information in media releases or otherwise already in the public domain)
- What information must not be disclosed
How can OC Area Canvass keep up the morale of the staff?
Providing regular feedback on the way canvass enquiries are contributing to the progress of the investigation, together with updates on the progress being made with other phases of the enquiry.
Attention to facilities provided for those involved, and provide food and water!
A detailed master record of ongoing progress should be continually maintained and updated by the OC Canvass. What things should the master record show?
- Which addresses have been visited
- Which occupants interviewed
- The documentation completed
- Any relevant comments made
