Part 1 Initial response Flashcards
- What are some examples of incidents notified to the police that are not initially identifiable as a homicide?
- report of a missing person
- sudden unexplained death of an infant
- unexplained death
- report of an abduction
- report of violence where no fatalities are anticipated
- crime scene without a body present
- hit and run vehicular collision
- suicide
- fatal fire
- drug related deaths
- What is VAWSEIPO?
V - victim (identify and locate)
A - Appreciation (Make an initial appreciation of the incident. Assess personal risk and then preserve the lives of others
W - Witnesses (Locate and contain witnesses)
S - Scene (Preserve the scene eg set boundaries)
E - Exhibits (Note evidence and preserve any that would otherwise be lost or destroyed)
I - Ingredients (Consider whether the ingredients of the alleged offence have been established)
P - Powers (Identify what powers are available and consider whether to execute them
O - Offenders (Identify and apprehend suspects
- What are the benefits of applying the appreciation technique?
- informs all police what they are expected to achieve
- increases the chances of success ie the investigative aims/objectives/ being met
- establishes a sequence of activities to be carried out
- manages risk
- reduces uncertainty
- eliminates duplication
- ensures nothing is overlooked
- effective use of resourses
- What is the police primary purpose at the scene of a death?
Investigate thoroughly and gather sufficient evidence to satisfactorily explain the circumstances of the death
- When and why should a risk assessment be done?
Initial action at the scene is crucial but may also present physical risks as well as a risk of contamination to the scene. Before initials actions can be safely undertaken, those in charge at the scene must conduct an appreciation on the known information, to dictate how, why and what form initial action should take. Subject to the appreciation of risks, a reconnaissance should be conducted to establish who is present at the scene. This may include other injured people, or a hidden offender.
The first priority will always be to ensure the safety of the attending police members
- Having ensured the safety of those present, the next priority is to establish the physical condition of the victim, what are the three categories?
- alive and uninjured
- alive but injured
- show no signs of life
- If a statement taken from a victim who subsequently dies that statement may still be admissible in a proceedings as hearsay evidence under S18(1) EA06. If the court is satisfied that both the content of the statement and the person who made it are reliable. The circumstances to consider under s16(1) EA06 include?
- the nature and quality of the statement
- the contents of the statement
- the circumstances relating to the making of the statement
- circumstances relating to the veracity of the person and
- circumstances relating to the accuracy of the observation of the person
- What are the steps that should be followed by police who arrive at the scene first?
- Identify
* gather info and carry out an initial assessment of the scene
* consider warrantless powers to deal with evidential
* consider possible approach paths and establish a common approach path - Secure
- Preserve
* consider the best path into the scene
* record any movements/action taken in the scene
* preserve what is there and leave it in situ. Ensure nothing is touched or moved. The scene must be kept in its original state
* if no immediate life is at risk, consider using stepping plates
* be prepared to take immediate action to preserve and/or record evidence that may change if nothing is done - Consider
- Record
* the integrity of the scene by establishing and maintaining a crime scene log of movements, names, times and reasons for entry and exit to the scene
* observe and record full notes of precise details of the scene, particularly the location of the victim
* complete a sketch of the scene
- What are the duties of a scene guard?
- Secure the scene - deny any person access to the scene, unless they are expressly authorised to enter
- Record details - Maintain a crime scene log and note for every person authorised to enter the scene, name and designation, authority to enter the scene, purpose of the visit, time of entry and time of exit
- Control movements - ensure everyone entering the scene is directed to the common approach path to be followed and is supervised during the visit
- Record movements - record all movement and vehicle details to, from and near the scene, in the crime scene log
- Brief others - Promptly communicate any relevant information received to the oc scene or crime scene coordinator
- Avoid disturbance - do not personally enter, contaminate or interfere with the scene
- Protect scene - be vigilant for activity such as the presence of any animals which may feed on body
tissues - Brief replacement - brief the oncoming scene guard on all relevant matters and hand on the crime scene log
- Respect security - do not discuss events or the crime with witnesses, bystanders or members of the media
- Demonstrate Courtesy - use tact and courtesy when dealing with civilian witnesses and crowds
- Inform others - report any actions taken to the oc scene or crime scene coordinator as appropriate
REMAIN ON DUTY UNTIL RELIEVED BY THE ONCOMING SCENE GUARD
- What steps should you follow if suspects have been identified at the scene?
- Separate the suspects from other persons at the scene
- Consider the condition of the suspect, whether they are injured, under the influence of alcohol, drugs,or suffer from a medical or mental impairment or other special consideration
- Ask them to remain at the scene and to co operate with police. As soon as possible, remove the suspect from the scene by consent or with lawful justification
- If the suspect refuses to co operate, consider whether grounds exist to arrest them and what the most appropriate offence will be
- To prevent cross contamination issues, consider using officers who have not entered the scene to manage the suspect, if available
- If the suspect is - arrested or detained (caution the suspect)
- not arrested or detained but police want to question them and there is good cause to suspect they committed an offence (caution the suspect
- a child or young person (caution, where required) - Consider searching the suspect and the suspects vehicle and belongings to prevent the disposal of evidence and for the searcher’s safety
- Consider searching the vicinity of the suspect and the area or route they are thought to have taken, in order to recover discarded or secreted evidence
- Note the suspects appearance and behaviour ie do they appear edgy, shocked or agitated, are their clothes ripped and or stained
- Record everything the suspect says and if appropriate, consider conducting a preliminary interview
- When ever possible, interviewing of suspects should be recorded on video
- Brief the oc investigation on their arrival, highlighting any significant risks surrounding cross contamination or movement within or near the scene
- If media arrive at the scene what should be done?
If members of the media are present keep them away from the immediate crime scene cordon and make no comment about the incident. Consult with the oc investigation on arrival and explain what has happened, identify media members and where they are located
- What should the oc investigation be briefed about?
- what has occurred
- what action has been taken
- what has not been done
- what needs to be done
- What is the primary function of the initial police responders?
- attending the scene at an early stage
- taking control of the situation and
- co ordinating tasks
- Define an what an appreciation is?
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.
