Role Of OC suspects Flashcards
Suspects team
Is responsible for-
- Obtaining information about suspects and persons of interest
- Thoroughly profiling and investigating all suspects and persons of interest
- Seeking evidence to cover all elements of the offence
- Mitigating and dealing with possible defences that may be raised
- Providing a basis for further investigation
Management of suspects falls into three categories-
- Identification and profiling
- Arrest/termination
- Interviewing
OC suspects initial briefing should encompass
- The full circumstances of the offence including an analysis of the scene and witness evidence available
- The full details of all persons of interest and any suspect, where identity of suspects are know
- Details of any descriptions of the suspect provided by witnesses
- Whether any particular modus operandi/ crime signatures have been identified
Identifying suspects by-
- Area canvas
- Intelligence analysis
- Police notings
- Fingerprints
- DNA samples
- Witness evidence
- Police FV teams
- CHIS
- Response to publicity and media reports
- Other police work groups (NPT, NIC)
- Enquiries with external government agencies
- Enquiries made with non-government agencies
Media publicity and property duplicates
An appreciation should be made of the information available and the information needed.
In deciding whether to publicise such items the potential benefits of the additional information which may be generated must be weighed against the risk of publicising the item.
Photographs of clothing or duplicates can be used in a combination of ways-
- For release to media
- To be used by investigators during an area canvas
- In the conduct of suspect enquiries
Suspects residence
Where the place of residence for a suspect who is yet to be identified, is known consider-
- NIA enquiries
- Enquiries with the local council to identify the property owner
- Monitoring the address through surveillance
- Conducting a reconnaissance of the area
- Monitoring the address through surveillance
- Taking photographs of any persons and vehicles as they leave/enter the address
- Monitoring phones through production orders
- Enquiries with local authorities and utility provides
Trace Interview and Eliminate
TIE
OC investigation may use a method of identifying types of groups that may contain the offender.
A TIE category is created by selecting a common characteristic shared by a group of people, which may include the offender.
The suspect team then must conduct elimination enquiries by tracing and interviewing persons who populate these tie categories.
Intelligence categories-
Research should aim to collect all available information and attempt to establish or find-
- Names /aliases used by suspect
- Suspects previous records /criminal history / modus operandi
- Details of vehicles owned or used and patterns of movement
- Details of of phones (landline and mobile) used by suspect.
- Places of residence, work and other places frequented
- Suspect description
- A recent photograph of the suspect
- Medical records
- Licence details held for firearms/ access to firearms
- Social media accounts / email
- Known Associates
- Pattern of life
- Intelligence to enhance rapport building
Sources of information
About a suspect
Take a broad view, consider- Financial records Personal computer information Telecommunications information Video-recording systems Customer information/subscriber details Access/door security systems Tacograph (vehicle computer) Vehicle gps Toll records Phones Internet history
Understanding cross-contamination
Any potential for cross contamination must be eliminated by conducting an appreciation and applying stringent standard procedures for managing exhibits.
Where more than one suspect is involved an appreciation must be made regarding which staff are assigned to seize clothing from suspects.
Medical examination Oc suspects (in consultation with OC investigation) will arrange for a Police doctor to examine the suspect. The doctor must-
- note injuries such as scratches and bruises
- take samples identified as necessary by the OC investigation using a specialist MEK including; blood/ saliva/ hair (head and body or pubic if relevant)/ fingernail scrapings/ swabs(hands and other relevant areas)
- swab for firearms residue (may persist in hands or clothing for up to three hours)
- professional opinion regarding the condition of a suspect.
Record comments made by the suspect and photographs of marks / injuries must be taken
Alibis
Whenever an offender puts forward an alibi in regards to a matter where proceedings have commenced, it is the responsibility of the OC suspects to make thorough enquiries to determine the veracity of the alibi and to fully report the result of these enquiries to the Crown solicitor via the 2IC.
