CPP 2012 Domain 3: Investigations Flashcards
What are the five qualities that characterize an effective, reliable investigation?
Objectivity,
Thoroughness,
Relevance,
Accuracy,
Timeliness.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.1.1, pages 2-6
What are the three levels of investigative management?
Strategic,
Operational,
Case.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3, page 10
In an investigation, what is generally the best reporting chain from the source of information to the decision maker?
The shortest one.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3.1, page 16
What are the three main tools of an investigator?
Information,
Interrogation,
Instrumentation.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3.3, page 22
How many years of experience should a new investigative hire have?
As a rule of thumb, new hires should have at least two years of experience conducting investigations.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3.3, page 23
What are the five principal resources of an Investigations Unit (IU)?
People, Information, Credibility, Physical assets, Financial assets. Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3.5, page 31
What is perhaps the best way to achieve funding for an IU?
Demonstrate how the unit pays for itself.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3.5, page 31
What elements constitute the investigation lifecycle?
Initiation, Investigation, Reporting, Results/follow-up. Source: POA: Investigation, Figure 1-4, page 32
In investigations, what’s the difference between an analysis diagram and a horizontal diagram?
An analysis diagram links details regarding persons, events, etc. during an investigation.
A horizontal diagram compares different periods of a company’s financial statement that will be beneficial during a fraud investigation.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3.7, page 39
In what situation is protecting investigative information particularly difficult?
Protecting information can be difficult when working with joint task forces, because each participating agency likely has different policies, definitions, perspectives, and attitudes towards what is sensitive and warrants protection.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3.11, page 44
What is OPSEC?
OPSEC, or operations security, is a simple and systematic method of employing safeguards to protect critical information. It responds to the fact that small bits of information from different sources can be combined to reveal sensitive information.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3.11, page 44; IAP, 1.4.6, page 17
What are the most challenging problems in international investigations?
Cultural differences create challenges in international investigations.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3.12, page 49
What is the overall objective of an investigation?
A successful outcome or resolution of the case.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.3.13, page 49
What is the most common type of investigation in business settings?
Incident investigations.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.4.1, page 50
What is the typical initiation event in a private sector incident investigation?
An incident report.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.4.1, page 50
What is the best way to prepare for workplace misconduct investigations?
Coordinate as soon as possible with the HR director and corporate legal counsel because of the possibility of employee legal action.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.4.2, page 53
What four situations do workplace misconduct investigations typically address?
Conflict of interest, Corporate resource abuse/theft, Workplace violence, Substance abuse. Source: POA: Investigation, 1.4.2, pages 55-57
What is the biggest challenge in investigating workplace misconduct issues?
Getting employees to report wrongdoing.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.4.3, page 58
What are the three force multipliers in investigations?
Online information sources (e.g. commercial databases),
Liaison (e.g. joint task forces),
Intelligence information (e.g. informants).
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.6, pages 63-74
What are three major pitfalls of using online information sources for investigations?
Going off on a tangent/spending too much time online,
Assuming online information is credible without exploring further, Searching online sources may not be best use of an investigator’s time.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.6.1, page 65
What are four key challenges to watch for when operating within a joint task force?
Parochialism, Protection of sensitive information, Data management, Reporting chains. Source: POA: Investigation, 1.6.2, page 70
What are the four stages of an investigative reporting process?
Initial report,
Progress report (within 30 days of initial report),
Special report,
Final report.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.7.1, page 75
Who is the only corporate official who should retain a copy of an investigative report?
The attorney of record.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.7.1, page 77
What kind of legal privilege is typically granted to properly controlled investigative reports?
Qualified privilege, protecting against defamation suits.
Source: POA: Investigation, 1.7.1, page 77