Preliminary Homicide Investigation 05-01 Flashcards
Preliminary Homicide Investigations Supervision
Supervisory Officer mandatory attendance
Divisional Detective mandatory attendance
Officer in Charge mandatory notification
Unit Commander mandatory notification
Homicide - As set out in their mandate, Detective Operations – Homicide and Missing Persons Unit (Homicide and Missing Persons)
shall
lead the investigation of all homicides that occur within the City of Toronto;
lead the investigation of all criminal acts which result in serious bodily harm or life threatening injury to a police
officer while on duty;
support field officers with the investigation of suspicious deaths;
lead the investigation of deaths in police custody that are not related to the discharge of a Service firearm; and
provide investigative support to the Coroner in the investigation of deaths in police custody.
These investigations will be conducted in accordance with the Ontario Major Case Management Manual (OMCMM).
When an autopsy is ordered as a result of an apparent suicide or accident where the only witness is or has been an intimate
partner, past or present,
the autopsy will be performed by a Regional Coroner’s pathologist who currently performs homicide
autopsies. The autopsy will be conducted as if the death had taken place under suspicious circumstances.
Sudden Unexpected Death of a Child
Every sudden unexpected death of a child under eighteen (18) years of age shall be treated as suspicious and a member
of the On–Call Team – Homicide Squad (On–Call Homicide Team) shall be consulted by the attending divisional detective.
Officers are reminded not to reach premature conclusions regarding the cause and manner of death until a thorough
investigation has been completed.
The Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC), a sub-unit of Detective Operations - Sex Crimes, shall be notified when
investigating a sudden unexpected death of a child under the age of sixteen (16) years in any division City-Wide. The
attending divisional detective shall consult with a member of the CYAC prior to leaving the scene and/or conducting formal
interviews of caregivers. CYAC investigators are available from 0730 to 2200 hours to investigate child abuse cases. An
on–call child abuse investigator can be reached after hours through the Toronto Police Operations Centre (TPOC).
Every sudden unexpected death of a child under ______ years of age shall be treated as suspicious and a member
of the On–Call Team – Homicide Squad (On–Call Homicide Team) shall be consulted by the attending divisional detective.
18 years of age
The Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC), a sub-unit of Detective Operations - Sex Crimes, shall be notified when
investigating a sudden unexpected death of a child under the age of ________ years in any division City-Wide
16 years of age
CYAC investigators are available from
0730 to 2200 hours to investigate child abuse cases. An
on–call child abuse investigator can be reached after hours through the Toronto Police Operations Centre (TPOC)
Pediatric Death Review Committee (PDRC)
The PDRC is composed of two (2) sections based on the nature and circumstances of the death: PDRC – Child Welfare
and PDRC – Medical.
PDRC – Child Welfare must review all cases of deaths involving children and youth when the child, the youth or their family
was receiving, or had received, the services of a Children’s Aid Society (CAS) or Indigenous child wellbeing society within
12 months of the death
PDRC – Medical reviews the death of children where
issues or concerns pertaining to the medical diagnosis or provision
of care have been identified. These cases are done on a discretionary basis and are referred by the relevant Regional
Supervising Coroner.
Who shall attend for Identification of the Deceased
The investigator heading an investigation or a police officer designated by this investigator
The investigator heading an investigation or a police officer designated by this investigator shall attend the morgue and be
physically present when a deceased is identified under the following circumstances
homicide, suspected homicide or other related criminal offences
cases where the investigating officer has requested the presence of another officer
cases where an inquest has been or is likely to be called, or
the Coroner believes it is necessary due to the nature of the case, or the condition of the person doing the
identification
Who at the scene of a suspicious death or suspected homicide shall be responsible for offender management, preservation of the evidence and crime scene while awaiting the arrival of an appropriate investigator?
The first police officer to arrive
Police Officer - Upon arrival at the scene of a suspicious death or suspected homicide shall
designate a line of approach to the body that allows for the least contamination possible
take charge of the scene until relieved by a supervisory officer
if the deceased has been removed, note the original position of the body and any items moved to gain access to
the body
request additional assistance, as required
request the attendance of
a supervisory officer
a divisional detective
an investigator from Detective Operations - Forensic Identification Services (FIS)
the Coroner
pending the arrival of a supervisory officer, assign officers to complete necessary tasks
ensure nothing at the scene is touched or used, including the telephones and bathrooms
ensure the communications operator and the Officer in Charge are frequently apprised of all pertinent details
obtain the name, address and telephone number of every person present at the scene or sufficient information,
including descriptions, to assist in locating these persons at a later time
remove all persons to an area away from the immediate scene
encourage all persons present to remain available for questioning
preserve the integrity of evidence of witnesses by ensuring they don’t discuss their observations with each other
ensure only personnel involved in the investigation are permitted to enter the crime scene
comply with Procedure 13–17 by making notations in the memorandum book, including such information as
sketching a diagram of the scene
the position of the body and any weapons
blood stains
items of evidence
room furnishings (indoor scene) or weather conditions (outdoor scene)
physical characteristics of the scene
conversations with witnesses
any other information pertinent to the investigation
conduct a Person Query, including a CPIC check and Canadian Firearms Registry On-line (CFRO) check
Upon discovering
‒ the sudden unexpected death of a child under _______ years of age
‒ a suspicious death or suspected homicide, which may include
an unexplained or unknown cause of death
found human remains
obvious or suspected foul play
any other suspicious circumstance
shall treat the death as suspicious.
18 years of age
Upon discovering the sudden unexpected death of a child shall interview the _________ at the time of death, using the
questions listed in Appendix A as a guide to the type of information that should be obtained.
Caregiver
Homicide - If the suspect is present shall
arrest the suspect in compliance with Procedure 01–01
if there are multiple suspects, separate them from each other as soon as practicable
isolate the suspect from witnesses as soon as possible
note all conversation with the suspect in the memorandum book
note the condition of the suspect in the memorandum book, particularly
clothing
marks of violence
manner of speaking, movements and general behaviour
refrain from unauthorized questioning of the suspect
Homicide - If the suspect has left the scene shall
obtain the type of information contained in Chapter 5, Appendix A to help determine whether reasonable grounds
exist to believe there is a threat to safety
obtain and broadcast all relevant information including a description, whether the suspect is armed, and the mode
and direction of travel
select Yes for the BOLO option when completing the suspect Entities page
Records Management Services – Operations will create and post a BOLO.
When collecting or seizing evidence shall
ensure it remains protected and undisturbed until examined by a detective or investigator from FIS
if the evidence must be disturbed, seize it for protection, and mark and note its original location
In the event a Homicide Investigator is not attending the scene, direction will be followed by?
Divisional Investigator
First Police Officer will provide the original eReport number to the (Homicides)
other attending officers who may need to add supplementary information
Officer in Charge
divisional detective
Investigator – FIS
Major Case Manager – Detective Operations - Homicide and Missing Persons
Investigator – CYAC, as applicable
Second Police Officer - Homicide scene
shall be responsible for
preserving the crime scene, if necessary, and noting any pertinent details in their memorandum book, record the names of all personnel attending, and the times they enter or leave, using a TPS 243 whenever possible
or, if not available, the memorandum book
When performing a door–to–door canvass shall (Homicide)
carry a sufficient quantity of the TPS 233 and TPS 234
complete a TPS 233 for every premises attended
leave a TPS 234 at every residence where there is no answer
Supervisor upon arrival at Homicide
The first supervisory officer to arrive at the scene of a suspicious death or suspected homicide shall be responsible for the
quality and thoroughness of the uniform response
