Serious Crime Flashcards
What are the two key tasks of any investigation?
- Preserving and gathering evidence and,
- Recording accurate and detailed documentation
To maintain high standards in an investigation, what must you do?
- Have an investigative mindset
- Apply the appreciation technique
- Consider how your actions will be scrutinised under cross-examination.
- Have meticulous attention to detail
- Be efficient when carrying out tasks
- PRIMED
- Have excellent communication
- Work as a team
What are the four different types of team conferences?
- Initial conference
- Regular conference
- Debriefing conference
- Phase team conferences - Run by O/C phase, for phase staff
What are the three primary functions initial Police responders do?
- Attending the scene at an early stage
- Taking control of the situation
- co-ordinating tasks
List some circumstances that may not initially be identifiable as homicide.
- Missing persons
- Sudden unexplained death of an infant
- unexplained death
- Report of an abduction
- Report of violence where no fatalities are anticipated
- Crime scenes without a body present
- Hit and run vehicular collisions
- Suicide
- Fatal fires
- Drug-related deaths
What are the components of VAWSEEPO
Victim - Identify and locate victims
Appreciations - 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
Exhibits - Note evidence and preserve any that would otherwise be lost or destroyed
Elements - 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)
What is the definition of appreciation
An appreciation is a proven problem-solving method that involves a series of steps to determine the best course of action by considering all factors, weighing alternative solutions, and continuously incorporating new information.
List some benefits of applying the appreciation technique
- Informs all Police what they are expected to achieve
- Increased the chances of success
- Established a sequence of activities to be carried out
- Manages risk
- Reduces uncertainty
- Eliminates duplication
- Ensures nothing is overlooked
- Effective use of resources
What are the four steps of the appreciation process?
Aim - A one-line statement that succinctly demonstrates a single objective
Factors - A factor is any circumstance or fact that could have an effect on the manner in which you will achieve a desired outcome. eg. risk to life, location of a suspect, evidence requiring preservation, weather, etc. For each factor, you must consider “So what?” and then “Therefore” to derive its logical conclusion(s).
Courses Open - Courses open are all of the possible ways the aim could be achieved bearing in mind the factors.
Plan - The proposed course of action to achieve the desired aim.
What is Police’s purpose in investigating death?
To investigate thoroughly and gather evidence to explain the circumstances of death.
List some information that should be obtained from complainants/informants
- Identity and location of the suspect
- A first-hand account of what they know
- The scene location
- Circumstances leading to the discovery
- Identity of the victim
- Details of anyone else at the scene
- Full contact details of the complainant
- The demeanour of the complainant
- Relationship to the victim/suspect
- Details of actions taken by the complaint
- Details of any hazards for Police approaching the scene / victim
List what a complainant may be asked to do in order to preserve a scene if there will be a delay in Police attendance
- Return to and guard the scene if safe to do so
- Not to enter the boundaries of the scene
- Not to touch or move anything
- To prevent others from entering or touching the scene
- To wait for Police arrival and then identify themselves on Police arrival.
What is the first priority when attending a scene
To ensure the safety of attending Police and then preserve life.
What are the three categories of medical status Police use?
- Alive and uninjured - Proceed to preserve the scene
- Alive but injured - Call ambo and consider resuscitation if appropriate
- Shows no signs of life
List the steps that should be followed when attending to a victim in hospital
- Obtain a medical opinion of the victim’s status
- Seize the victim’s clothing, etc.
- Establish the victim’s identity.
- Obtain a pre-transfusion blood sample using Police Toxicology kit.
- 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 where appropriate.
- Note and photograph any injuries.
- Arrange DNA swabs to be taken from the victim’s skin where relevant.
- Obtain details of any and all persons who visit or contact the victim.
- Conduct a scoping interview with the victim using TEDS to establish what happened and who was involved. If the victim may die consider recording an immediate statement; where this would not adversely affect their medical welfare.
- Conduct a preliminary interview with ambulance and emergency staff who treated the victim.
Explain statements by people who have since died
Hearsay evidence may be given in court if the deceased made a statement before death.
The following should be considered:
- The content of the statement
- Circumstances relating to the making of the statement
- Circumstances relating to the veracity of the person making the statement
- Circumstances relating to the accuracy of the observation of the person
List the steps that should be followed when locating a body
- Consider calling an ambulance and resuscitation
- Remain with the body until relieved by CIB or a supervisor.
- Arrange a doctor to pronounce life extinct.
- Treat the victim as a scene.
- Instruct medical staff to leave clothes on the body.
- If medical treatment has been given, request that connecting tubes, needles, etc and left in situ.
- Conduct scoping interviews with medical staff to establish their actions and apparent cause of death.
- Ascertain if the victim spoke to anyone before death.
- Record body position, lividity, injuries & clothing.
- Objectively record everything observed using all senses.
- Record all exhibits.
- Sketch a plan including the position of the body and exhibits.
- Provide full information to O/C investigation.
What initial action steps should be taken to preserve a scene?
- Consider the best path into the scene
- Record any movements/action taken
- Consider using stepping plates
- Be prepared to take immediate action to preserve/record evidence that may change if nothing is done. Eg. rain.
What is the purpose of a scene guard/log?
To ensure:
- There is no unauthorised entry into the scene
- The integrity of evidence is secured
- Intelligence opportunities are maximised
- Contamination issues are managed
What are the duties of a scene guard?
- Secure the scene
- Record details of persons
- Control Movements in/out of the scene
- Record movements in/out of the scene
- Avoid disturbances of the scene
- Protect the scene
What should you consider when dealing with a forensically important witness?
- Immediate DNA swabs of any areas on the witness the suspect may have touched
- Immediate DNA was 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
- Avoid cross-contamination
What steps should you take when dealing with suspects at a scene?
- Separate suspects from other persons at the scene.
- Consider the condition of the suspect - Injuries, drugs, alcohol, etc
- Ask them to remain at the scene and cooperate with Police. Remove from the scene by consent or with lawful justification.
- If the suspect refused to cooperate consider grounds to arrest.
- Consider using officers who have not entered the scene to manage the suspect to avoid cross-contamination.
- Caution the suspect if required.
- Consider searching the suspect, their vehicle and property.
- Consider searching the vicinity of the suspect and the route they have taken for evidence.
- Note the suspects’ behaviour and appearance.
- Record everything the suspect says and if appropriate consider conducting a preliminary interview.
- Whenever possible intervening the suspect should be on video.
- Brief the OC Investigation highlighting any significant risks around cross-contamination or movements within the scene.
How do you deal with media present at a scene?
- Keep them away from the immediate crime scene cordon
- 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 factors should be taken into consideration in respect of the removal of a body?
‑ Notification to and response from, the Coroner
‑ Views of the pathologist, ESR forensic scientist and Crown Solicitor attending the crime scene
‑ Chain of custody of the body from the scene to the mortuary
‑ Safe custody of exhibits
‑ Best method and route for the body removal, to minimise contamination of the scene or the body, for example by using sterile
‑ Family and/or cultural considerations
‑ Consultation with other relevant experts
‑ Requirement for any examination or action needed before removal, based on known facts of the case
stepping plates
‑ Supervision of the body removal
‑ The appreciation should record the protective clothing worn.
What evidence may be lost or contaminated by moving the body?
‑ larvae and insects
‑ potential fingerprint evidence from the skin on the body of the victim and/or items of clothing worn by the body, e.g. fine woven
fabrics
‑ DNA swabs
‑ extraneous items such as loose hairs, fibres, glass, paint or other fragments
‑ firearm residue samples.
What details of a body need to be recorded before it is removed?
‑ Position of the limbs.
‑ Appearance of the body.
‑ Wounds and clothing.
‑ Direction of any trails of blood present on the body.
‑ Lividity, if present (coloration of skin due to gravitational movement of blood).
‑ Extent of any rigor mortis present.
What is the role of O/C Body during a post-mortem?
To observe, document and deal with exhibits associated with the body, in a
structured, methodical manner.
What is the purpose of a post-mortem?
- Determining the cause of death.
- Determining where possible, the mode and time of death
‑ Establishing how injuries and/or events at the scene may have contributed toward the death of the victim
‑ Determining the nature and size of any weapon(s) used
‑ Determining the approximate height and stature of the suspect
‑ Providing areas of interest for subsequent interviews of witnesses and/or suspects
‑ Negating possible defences
‑ Identifying the victim, if identity has not been established.
Who may attend a post-mortem?
‑ Police (O/C Investigation, O/C Body, Photographer, SOCO, Exhibits Officer).
‑ The pathologist
‑ The Coroner
‑ Any other pathologist assisting (if authorised by the Coroner)
‑ A doctor who treated the deceased
‑ A doctor, nurse or funeral director representing the deceased (if authorised by the Coroner)
‑ A doctor representing the interests of a suspect who has or may be charged in relation to the death (if authorised by the
Coroner)
‑ Any other doctor or trainee doctor (if authorised by the Coroner)
‑ Any other person authorised by a Coroner.
What experts should be considered for post-mortem attendance (with the coroners approval)>
‑ Odontologist
‑ Biologist
‑ Medical illustrator
‑ Toxicologist
‑ Ballistics expert
‑ Crime scene examiner
‑ Entomologist
‑ Anthropologist
‑ Disaster Victim Identification.
On arrival at the mortuary, the O/C body must do what?
- Ensure mortuary staff do not wash the body.
- Ensure the body is labelled and secured in the secure mortuary fridge.
- Retain any key used to secure the body, until it is required for the post‐mortem.
- Ensure the body remains in its present condition until the commencement of the post‐mortem.
- Arrange formal identification of the body.
What are the benefits of engaging an Iwi Liaison Officer?
- Will support an understanding and awareness of Maori traditions, protocol and beliefs.
- Enhance relations between the investigation, family of the deceased and Maori community.
What are some methods of identifying a body?
- Fingerprints.
- DNA profiling.
- Dental Records.
- Eye examination records.
- Medical records.
- Personal effects.
- Facial reconstruction
What information can skeletal remains provide?
- Whether the remains are actually bones.
- Whether the bones are human.
- The age, gender, height and race of the person.
