Chapter 2 Flashcards
The note taking process begins ____________ an officer gets a call to the scene of a crime.
as soon as
An investigators field notes are his or her most __________________ record of the crime scene search. They may be the most important steps in initially documenting a crime scene.
personal and readily available
Allow victims and witnesses to _________________ what occurred. Be sure they answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how of what occurred.
state in their own words
Key points included in the note taking process include: (what to write down) The following are examples of some of the essential aspects of information:
Dates times and locations Description of victim Wounds of the victim Overall description of the crime scene Notes on photographs taken on the scene Type and location of each piece of evidence Absence of items
Officers should develop their own systems of note taking but should not move into _________ because field notes may be required later as evidence in court.
“Shorthand”
Are a means to aid an investigators recall at the time that he or she prepares the official detailed investigative report
Field notes
Field notes should be stored in a safe place to avoid _______________.
loss or tampering
If a digital recorder is used instead of a notebook transcripts should be made and the recording media should be protected as ____________ and to ensure it does not become inadvertently erased or damaged during transportation or storage.
evidence
Field notes can be required as _________ by the court
evidence
The police report is the ____________ of the offense and a record of investigative steps taken to solve the crime.
formal record
As with field notes the rule of thumb is to seek answers to the questions
Who,what,when,why ,how ,and ,where
Key items in structure of a police report include:
Preliminary information
Information from victims witnesses and others at the crime scene
Physical evidence
Modus operandi
Use of digital video at crime scenes has several key advantages:
Can begin recording at extreme perimeters of the scene and walk closer and closer to the specific objects in question lending greater perspectives to photographs
It can easily be used in the courtroom
Digital video at crime scenes has several key advantages
Prosecutors can view the evidence moments after recording
Use of the freeze frame feature allows viewers to stop the recording at a critical point for a closer view of the subject being documented
Individual photographs can be made directly from digital video which may be useful to the investigation or prosecution of the case
Digital video recordings should be made ________ still photographs are taken.
before
The key requirements for admitting a photograph into evidence are:
Relevance-the photograph will not unduly confuse or deceive the trier of fact
Authentication-the photograph is accurate and correct. The most important requirement is authentication
When photographing a crime scene there can never be ________ pictures.
too many
Photographs are usually taken in three stages:
General views, medium range views, and close up views
Sweeping views of the crime scene area
General views
Taken from a distance of no greater than 20 feet away from the subject or item being photographed depicting specific items or objects in the crime scene
Medium-range views
Taken at a distance of less than 5 feet focusing on small segments of a larger surface or on specific items in the scene
Close-up views
Key factors in photographing crime scenes include:
PERSPECTIVE-shows the relationship between one item of evidence and another
If item smaller than 6 inches two photos should be taken. First in close range second from at least 6 feet away
SUITABLE LIGHTING-use artificial lighting such as floodlights avoid unnecessary shadows, which hide details.
USE OF MARKERS-enables the viewer of photo to get a sense of the size of the object or the distance between objects. Take photo first before placement of markers and then take second photo of same setting when markers in place
_______ may be the most important step in documenting a crime scene initially.
Notes
The notes taken at a crime scene must adequately reflect the ________________ at the time of the crime scene search.
condition and state of the location
These are used when patrol officers happen on people that appear suspicious but there is not sufficient cause for arrest. This card is used to document names addresses and filed.
FI cards (field interview cards)
Using a digital recorder, investigators can make __________about the scene.
more detailed memos
A drawback to use of digital recorders is the difficulty to review his notes on __________.
short notice
The original notes must be provided in court whenever possible
Best evidence rule (cheadle v barwell 1933)
Original notes are the archetype from which other documents are copied and duplicated. If original notes cannot be located photocopies may be used pursuant to a reasonable explanation to the court. Relates to what court case?
Arenson v Jackson
An important three pronged rule of thumb to remember is that official reports should be _______________ because they will be under close scrutiny when case goes to court
Factual, thorough, and to the point
In writing the narrative section of report the officer should be concerned with two basic items
Presentation and diction (choice and use of words)
Initial complaint depicts an “at a glance” summary of the investigation.
Fact sheet or initial page
This report is considerably longer than the initial complaint because it goes in much greater detail on pertinent aspects of the case.
Supplemental report
Interior scenes should depict the entire area, by __________ from one scene to the next working in one direction around the room.
overlapping photos
Fox and Cunningham suggest at least two photographs of the dead body at 90 degree angles to each other with camera placed ___________ pointing downward toward the body.
as high as possible
It is recommended that notes be taken in a __________ in the event defense attorneys later charge that pages were added or notes were deleted by the investigator
bound notebook
