Chapter 7 Flashcards
This is one of the most recently used databases of the International Criminal Police Organization Interpol. It is used to determine whether passports, identity cards, and visas have been reported lost or stolen:
MIND/FIND
This database alerts participating agencies of investigative targets they have in common.
DEA’s National Drug Pointer Index (NDPIX)
This resource is part of NCAVC and provides advice and support for a range of cases, including child abductions, serial rapes and murders, and cyber crime:
The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP)
To avoid investigators giving subtle, unintended cues to witnesses, this method of conducting photo and live line-ups is now being widely used. Lineups are conducted by a trained lineup administrator who does not know who the suspect is or who the “fillers” are:
a “double blind” method
What is the minimum number of fillers that should be used for a photo lineup?
At least 5 (6 photos total, including the suspect)
NOTE: a live line-up use a minimum of 4 fillers
Eyewitnesses may be requested to see if they recognize anyone connected with the crime in one of three procedures:
1) a photo lineup
2) a “live” line-up
3) a “show-up”
What is the best tool for identifying a staged crime?
A thorough original and follow-up investigation
Staged crime investigations profit from a logical process. What is the process?
1) Conduct a comprehensive and thorough review of the documented scene, which may be very time consuming in violent crimes because of the abundance of evidence.
2) Carefully consider the victim’s character, lifestyle, personal and professional associates, drug and alcohol use, normal hangouts, daily schedule and routines, physical condition, occupation, previous complaints to the police, and recent conversations with neighbors and friends.
3) Look at the incident from several perspectives
4) Identify and document in detail all possible indicators of staging.
5) Identify and document possible motives for the original act and for the staging.
6) Determine who benefits from the original act and the staging. Even in death cases, the deceased may benefit; suicide and insurance policy.
This type of investigation, the most extreme form of a follow-up, is the reopening of an inactivated, unsolved case.
A cold case investigation
Types of informants who requires special approval: (4)
1) person under 18
2) those previously used and found unreliable
3) former drug addicts
4) those on federal or state probation or parole (require judicial approval)
In terms of categories of intelligence, there are at least four different types: (4)
1) Indicative Intelligence (focuses on emerging and new criminal developments)
2) Tactical Intelligence (immediately actionable and often results in arrest)
3) Stragetic Intelligence (gathered and analyzed over time and usually confirms new or newly discovered patterns of criminal activity)
4) Evidence Intelligence (consists of factual, precise information that can be presented in court)
The Intelligence/Analytical Cycle is driven by the needs of the client or end-user—-the backbone of this cycle is a continuous six-step process: (6)
1) Planning and direction
2) Collection
3) Processing
4) Analysis and production
5) Dissemination
6) Re-evaluation
There are different approaches to Crime Scene Reconstruction (CSR), but they share common perspectives. What are those common perspectives?
1) Data defines the conclusion
2) the context in which evidence is found, as well as its analysis, provides objective data
3) consider human testimony cautiously
4) effective forensic examination produces more refined data
5) what happened is not the only question-it’s sequence is also important
6) use “ reverse engineering” to work backward from the evidence to develop an understanding of what happened
The different Crime Scene Reconstruction (CSR) approaches and asks four basic questions as each item of evidence is being considered:
1) What is it?
2) What function does it serve?
3) What does it tell about timing and sequence of events?
4) What interrelationships does it have with other items of evidence?
This method is at the heart of all approaches to CSR?
The scientific method