Initial Response Flashcards
Initial Police Responders
Primary Functions
- attending the scene at an early stage
- taking control of the situation
- co-ordinating tasks
Identification of homicide cases
Whilst most offences of homicide are identified as a result of a body being found or by a person responsible for the offence making admissions, some incidents notified to the police are not initially identifiable as a homicide.
Such instances may include:
- report of a missing person
- report of an abduction
- report of violence where no fatalities are anticipated
- sudden unexplained death of an infant
- unexplained death
- drug related deaths
- suicide
- hit and run vehicle collision
- fatal fire
- crime scene without a body present
Initial Responsibilities
VAWSEIPO
Victim - Identify and locate victim
Appreciation - Make an initial appreciation of the incident. Assess personal risk and then preserve the lives of others
Witnesses - Locate and contain witnesses
Scene - Preserve the scene (e.g. set boundaries)
Exhibits - Note evidence and preserve any that would otherwise be lost or destroyed
Ingredients - Consider whether the ingredients of the alleged offence have been established
Powers - Identify what powers are available and consider whether to execute them
Offenders - Identify and apprehend suspect(s)
Appreciation
Definition
An appreciation is a proven method of problem solving. The process follows a series of set steps to ensure the optimum course of action is decided upon.
It considers all appropriate factors and weighs the benefits and risks of all alternative solutions, allowing sound decisions to be taken.
An appreciation is an ongoing process which involves continually thinking through each new piece of information as it is uncovered.
Appreciation
Benefits
- Establishes a sequence of activities to be carried out
- Eliminates duplication
- Ensures nothing is overlooked
- Effective use of resources
- Informs all Police what they are expected to achieve
- Increases the chances of success, i.e. the investigative aims/objectives being met
- Manages risk
- Reduces uncertainty
Steps of an Appreciation
AFCOP
Aim - a short (one line) statement which succinctly demonstrates a single objective
Factors - any circumstance or fact that could possibly have an effect on the manner in which you will achieve your desired outcome
Courses Open - a list of all the possible ways the aim could be achieved, bearing in mind the factors and the deductions made from those factors
Plan - a proposed course of action designed to put the selected course into action in order to achieve the desired aim
Adopting an investigative mentality
Police’s purpose at a death
To always investigate thoroughly and gather sufficient evidence to satisfactorily explain the circumstances of the death
Informant/complainant
What information to obtain from the informant/complainant
Who they are • identity and location of the suspect • identity of the victim • relationship to the victim or suspect • full contact details • demeanour
What they know • a first hand account of what they know • circumstances leading to the discovery • location of the scene • details of anyone else at the scene
What they did
• action they have taken and where they have been
• any hazards or safety issues that may affect Police approaching the
scene/victim.
Victim’s medical status
Three categories
- Alive and uninjured
- Alive but injured
- Shows no signs of life
Alive but injured
What to do on arrival at hospital
Victim
- Obtain a medical opinion as to the victim’s current medical condition.
- Establish the victim’s identity.
- Note and photograph any injuries.
Exhibits
- Seize the victims clothing and other possessions as evidence.
- Seize any discarded bandages used to cover gunshot wounds, and record the position on the victim where each bandage had been applied.
- Arrange firearms residue samples in cases where firearm use is suspected, including from the victim of any apparent suicide involving a firearm.
- Arrange DNA swabs to be taken from the victim’s skin, where they would be relevant to the particular circumstances of the case.
- Obtain a pre-transfusion blood sample using Police Toxicology Kit containers
Statements
- Obtain details of any and all persons who visit or contact the victim.
- Conduct a scoping interview with the victim where this would not adversely affect the medical welfare of the victim. Consider recording immediate statement if they may die
- Conduct a preliminary interview with ambulance and emergency staff who treated the victim.
Shows no signs of life
What to do when you discover a body
Body
- Consider calling an ambulance and resuscitation, if appropriate. If the victim has to be moved for this purpose, note the original body position and record any previous movements.
- Arrange a doctor to pronounce life extinct, unless death is obvious i.e. a decapitated or badly decomposed body.
- Remain with the body until relieved by CIB or a supervisor
- Treat the ‘victim’ as a scene (do not move the body unnecessarily).
Medical
- Instruct medical staff to leave clothes on the body
- Request that connecting medical items including tubes, needles, bandages are left ‘in situ’
- If possible, conduct scoping interviews with medical staff who treated the victim and establish their actions, apparent cause of death and injury type(s).
- Ascertain if the victim spoke to anyone before death and record what was said.
Record
- Sketch a plan including the position of the body and position of exhibits.
- Record body position, lividity (gravitational settling of the blood), obvious injuries and clothing.
- Record all exhibits.
- Objectively record everything observed using all senses, including sight, sound and smell
- Provide full information to the OC Investigation, at an early stage.
Initial action to preserve scene
- Identify - consider powers, establish scene, common approach path, other scenes, note observations and parties present, SITREP
- Secure - remove persons, cordons, scene guards/logs, control access, animal control
- Preserve - CAP, record actions taken and movements in scene, use stepping plates if no risk to life or safety, immediate actions to persevere evidence
- Consider - if initial photos are necessary
- Record - scene log, sketch scene, photos, anything that has been moved
Scene Logs
A scene guard and the log maintained by that person, is employed in order to ensure:
- there is no unauthorised entry into the scene
- integrity of evidence or potential evidence is secured
- contamination issues are managed
- intelligence opportunities are maximised
Scene guard duties
- Secure scene: Deny access unless authorised
- Record details: All entering scene
- Control movements: Common approach path
- Record movements: People, vehicles in scene log
- Brief others: Communicate relevant info with OC scene
- Avoid disturbance: Don’t enter the scene
- Protect scene: Animals
- Brief replacement: Relevant matters
- Respect security: Don’t discuss events or crime
Obtaining forensic evidence from a witness at a scene
The plan to preserve and recover evidence from a forensically important witness should consider the following:
- Immediate DNA swabs of any areas of the witness that the suspect may have touched.
- Immediate DNA swabs of any blood present on the witness.
- Immediate swabs of any other relevant stains present on the witness.
- Forensic medical examination, i.e. fingernail scrapings, hair combing etc.
- Seizure of clothing and footwear.
- Seizure of any items of property touched by the suspect.
Of note
Before the witness being interviewed, a plan must be prepared to preserve and recover all available physical evidence from the witness, such as fibres, body fluids, glass or other material.
