Chapter 1 - Introduction

Question 1

What are the two basic goals of the police?

Answer 1

·prevention of crime and disorder, preservation of peace

·protection of life, property, and personal liberty

Question 2

What are the 5 basic objectives to achieve the two basic police goals?

Answer 2

·Crime prevention
·Crime repression
·Regulating noncriminal conduct
·Provision of service
·Protection of personal liberty

Question 3

“Justice” considers the needs of there different entities:

Answer 3

·the victim
·society
·the accused

Question 4

What is the purpose of a criminal investigation?

Answer 4

The search for truth.

Question 5

Evidence can be defined as:

Answer 5

Anything that tends to prove or disprove a fact in contention.

Question 6

What two types does evidence present itself as?

Answer 6

·Testimonial

·Physical

Question 7

Testimonial evidence is collected through:

Answer 7

The interview and interrogation of witnesses, victims, and suspects or subjects.

Question 8

Chisum and Rynearson identified five ways in which context manifests itself in the crime scene. What are they?

Answer 8

·predictable effects
·unpredictable effects
·transitory effects
·relational detail
·functional detail

Question 9

Predictable effects in a scene are:

Answer 9

Changes to the scene or evidence that occur with some rhythm or regularity.

Example: entomology, rigor/lividity in stable environment.

Question 10

Unpredictable effects in a scene are:

Answer 10

Changes that occur in an unexpected or random fashion.

Example: entry of police/Fire/EMS into a crime scene.

Question 11

Transitory effects in a scene are:

Answer 11

A burning cigarette/cigar, ice still present in a cup, odors present like cologne/chemicals smelled by first arriving officers

Question 12

Relational details in a scene are:

Answer 12

Void patterns, cluster of shell casings on grass, presence/proximity of weapon to victim, distant vs close contact GSW

Question 13

Functional details in a scene are:

Answer 13

The operating conditions of items.

Example: weapons operates normally, deadbolt properly secures the door, alarm clock set at a specific time, etc.

Question 14

Bevel and Gardner defined four questions that the investigator should ask about evidence. What are they?

Answer 14

·what is it?
·what function did it serve?
·does it relate to other items or scene itself?
·what does it tell us about timing and sequencing aspects?

Question 15

What is a time snapshot of a crime scene?

Answer 15

Specific moments when specific actions occurred.

Examples: disturbance of bloodstain patterns, order of items layered on the floor, racial cracks in pane glass from gunshots.

Question 16

Scene degradation occurs:

Answer 16

From the moment the crime begins and continues until the last person leaves the scene.

Question 17

What is the evidence linkage triangle?

Answer 17

Used to establish Pacific Links or relationships between the suspect(s), victim(s), and the scene(s)

Question 18

Any good crime scene examination (methodology) requires five key ingredients. What are they?

Answer 18

·knowledge
·skills and tools
·a methodical approach
·flexibility
·a coordinated effort

Question 19

Crime scene investigators methods must consider three specific scene integrity issues.

Answer 19

· the addition, destruction, or movement of material in the scene

Question 20

The professional investigator standard has always been to investigate to the point of:

Answer 20

Beyond a reasonable doubt