Serious Crime Module - OC Suspects Flashcards
What is the purpose of the Suspects Team?
- Obtaining information about suspects/POIs
- Thoroughly profiling and investigating all suspects/POIs to enable the OC Investigation to establish their involvement in the offence or eliminate them from the inquiry
- 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
What are the three categories when managing suspects?
- Identification and profiling
- Arrest/termination
- Interviewing
What are the responsibilities of OC Suspects?
- Briefing the suspects team
- Determine investigation priorities
- Provide briefings/debriefings
- Identifying suspects
- Prepare descriptions
- FACES (computerised facial identification system)
- Media publicity and property duplicates
- Photograph board
- Suspect’s residence
- Trace, Interview and Eliminate enquiries (TIE)
- Intelligence categories (intel on the suspect)
- Sources of information (similar to above)
- Identification procedures
What is involved in the initial briefing of the suspects team?
- The circumstances of the offence including an analysis of the scene and witness evidence available
- The full details of all suspects/POIs, where the identity of suspects are known
- Details of any descriptions of the suspect provided by witnesses
- Whether any particular modus operandi/crime signatures have been identified
What is a passive data generator?
Automated systems that gather and collate information for various purposes.
What are some examples of passive data?
- CCTV and other images
- Telco information
- Customer information including subscriber information
- Access/door security systems
- Vehicle GPS
- Internet websites
What should the OC Suspects do when preparing to interview a suspect?
- Selection of an appropriately trained interviewer
- What mode of recording the interview (usually video)
- Determine the status of the person as a witness, POI or suspect
- Whether the person requires special consideration
- Consult with other interviewing experts
- Ensure the interviewer is fully briefed including the elements that need to be established
- Ensure the interview has prepared a detailed interview plan
What are examples of samples that may be taken by a doctor using a specialist Medical Examination Kit?
- Blood
- Saliva
- Head hair
- Pubic and body hair, if relevant
- Fingernail scrapings
- Swaps of the suspect’s hands or other relevant areas
What power do Police have to have the suspect undergo a medical examination and provide bodily samples?
Section 88 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012 – evidential material that is reasonably believed to be on the outside of the suspect’s body.
What photographs should be obtained of the suspect?
- Front face and profile
- Full body length, from the front and the side
- Any injuries
- Any distinctive, visible identifying features, such as tattoos or scars
- Samples of the suspect’s handwriting
- Record a physical description of the suspect
- Record details for the offender report
Who must approve/authorise interviewing an alibi witness?
The Crown Solicitor.
