Criminal Investigations Flashcards
Why are the lines between the romance of crime solving and the reality sometimes blurred?
the process has intrigued people for generations and is the subject of many works of art.
How have the roots of historical CJ system impacted modern system of criminal investigation?
it originated in England with the Bow Street Runners and later London Metro Police. History in the U.S. includes Pinkerton Agency and the F.B.I.
What were some of the early advancements in forensic science?
serology (study of plasma fluids)
forensic dentistry
ballistics
coordination with prosecutor
expand role of patrol officer
use of fingerprints should be expanded
distinguish between cases that require more specialized investigation
RAND study
detectives and patrol contribute equally to solving burglary and robbery cases
a period of four hours total is all that is needed to close a case75% of burglary cases are suspended after two days due to a lack of leads
personnel are too reliant on victim information
PERF study
Determine whether a crime has been committed Gather information identify MO make an arrest if necessary follow up on case afterwords
responsibilities of a successful investigator
May initiate the case by calling for specialized units
Initiate and complete the investigations of certain classes of crime
investigate high-volume crimes
assume initial responsibilities aid victims, evaluate scene, identify witnesses, suspects, evidence, protect the scene
role of a patrol officer in the investigative process
Thief catchers
persons recruited from criminal classes to aid law enforcement officials in locating suspects during Europe’s industrial revolution.
Bow Street Runners
Mr. Fielding’s People, the first well known investigative body in England, successful group of thief catchers
Bertillon System
a method of identification developed in Paris based on measurements such as skeletal size, ear shape, eye color
inductive reasoning
make an inference based on facts, takes us beyond what we know
deductive reasoning
based on specific facts used to establish proof
abduction
process of proposing a likely explanation for an event that can be tested, guides the accumulation of knowledge during the investigation
solvability factors
characteristics of case that demonstrate it is likely to result in case solution
relational databases
permit fast and easy sorting of large records
serology
procedure established to study and distinguish human blood stains
rouges’ gallery
compilation of descriptions, MO, hide outs, and associates of known criminals
field notes
document information as it is learned
Field Interview Cards
used to document interactions with a suspicious person
markers
call attention to an item at a crime scene and in a scene photograph
photos at a scene include at least what three views?
general, medium, close
what is the objective of the crime scene sketch?
to accurately portray the scene
- Baseline
- Triangulation
- Cross Projection
the three standard crime scene sketching methods
‘preliminary investigation
an initial inquiry by officers to establish facts of a suspected crime and to preserve any evidence related to that crime