Criminal Investigations 9th Ed - Ch 1 - Overview Flashcards
DNA was discovered in _____ .
1868
The logical process in which a conclusion follows from specific facts is known as ____ _____.
deductive reasoning
A ____ is an act in violation of penal law and an offense against the state.
crime
A ______ _______ is a legislative act relating to a crime and its punishment
criminal statute
An ________ is an act of the legislative body of a city or county relating to the rules governing such.
ordinance
A suspect’s “MO” or “_____ ______” (method of operation) is how he usually operates or commits a crime.
modus operandi
The goals of a criminal investigations are to
o Determine whether a crime has been committed
o Legally obtain information & evidence
o Arrest the suspect
o Recover stolen property
o Present the best possible case to the prosecutor
A “______” is an avenue bearing clues or potential sources of information relevant to solving the crime.
lead
A successful investigation is one in which:
o A logical sequence is followed
o All evidence is legally obtained
o All witnesses are effectively interviewed
o All suspects are legally and effectively interrogated
o All leads are thoroughly developed
o All details of the case are accurately recorded and reported
Remember that determining the ____ is more important than obtaining a conviction or closing a case.
truth
______ _______ obtain & retain information, apply technical knowledge, remain open minded, objective and logical, as well as are ______ _______.
Effective investigators
culturally adroit
A _____ is an action, an event, a circumstance or an actual thing done.
fact
An _________ is a process of reasoning by which a fact may be deduced (deductive reasoning).
inference
More cases are actually LOST during the first hour of an investigation – ___________ – than in court.
the initial response
______ _______ __ _______ is a basic forensic theory holding that objects that come in contact with each other always transfer material, however minute, to each other.
Locard’s principle of exchange
_____ ______ assist an investigator in determining whether evidence discovered is what they think it is (bloodstains, drugs, etc.)
Field test
In complex cases, involving many officers, a ______ ______ may be set up where information about the crime is gathered and reviewed.
command center
Due to television shows like CSI, jury now have an unreasonable expectation of forensic evidence in every case. Because of this, _______________________________________________.
law enforcement is suffering because of the “CSI effect.”
Despite a thorough investigation, a follow up investigation may be necessary. This ____________________________________________________. It can simply mean that some event has occurred that is requiring the investigator to gather more evidence.
does not necessarily mean that the initial investigation was inadequate
______________ help investigators efficiently access existing information, record new information, store it, analyze it, link crimes, enhance digital images, etc.
Computers
_____ _______ focusing on the location of the crimes.
Crime mapping
The act of sifting through vast amounts of information to find data that pertains to a specific case is referred to as ______ _______.
data mining.
_____-______ ________ makes use of crime mapping, data mining, and crime analysis.
Problem-oriented policing
Because there are a wide range of ________ in different crimes, it is impossible to establish fixed rules for conducting investigations.
variables
