Topic 1: Serious Crime Investigation Principles

Question 1

What is an investigative mindset?

Answer 1

Means you take disciplined approach to gathering, recording, retaining and presenting evidence and that you exercise critical thinking and decision making throughout all phases and stages of an investigation

Question 2

What are the two teams in a serious crime investigation ?

Answer 2

Investigation and support team

Question 3

What does the investigation team do?

Answer 3

The investigation team compromises the people who are physically making enquiries in order to solve the case.

Question 4

What does the support team do?

Answer 4

The support team provides support resources for the investigation tea, to help it organise and process the info gathered.

Question 5

What are the two key tasks of any investigation?

Answer 5

1- Gathering and preserving evidence

2- Documentation

Question 6

Good decisions are reached by a process of reasoning, based on what sequence? x7

Answer 6

1- Acknowledge that a situation or problem exists in which it is necessary to make a decision
2- Identify, isolate and analyse the problem clearly
3- Formulate a clear objective
4- Gather all data and info required to determine the ways in which the aim might be achieved
5- Draw up a list based on the info, of all the possible ways in which the aim might be achieved.
6- Weigh and study each of the alternates individually
7- Prepare a plan for putting the selected course into action

Question 7

There are three factors affecting decision making, what are they?

Answer 7

1- Individual bias
2- Verification bias
3- Availability errors

Question 8

What is individual bias?

Answer 8

There maybe occasions when decision making is unconsciously affected by an individuals perception of people, places and situations. The individual fails to recognise the effect of their perceptions o their thinking and decision making

Question 9

What is verification bias?

Answer 9

Verification bias occurs when thinking is channeled towards focusing on making decisions that support a certain point of view, thereby overlooking other alternative lines of enquiry or source of material.

Question 10

What is availability errors?

Answer 10

Availability error occurs when a person changes their decision on material that is vivid and dramatic, emotionally charged but it may not necessarily reflect the scope of material available on which to make a correct decision.

Question 11

What are the four steps for the appreciation technique?

Answer 11

1- Aim/objection
2- Factors
3- Courses open
4- Plan

Question 12

Appreciation technique

Step 1 - Aim or objective

Answer 12

An aim or objective is a short statement of intent beginning with a verb

Consider what you will do to address the situation or problem and formulate an aim or objective

It should be brief, to the point and there must only be one aim/objective

Question 13

Appreciation technique

Step 2 - Factors

Answer 13

A factor is a statement of truth about some known influence or circumstances.

Identify and consider the factors that will affect your aim/objective

Factors that often need to be considered:

• time available
• possible suspects
• available witnesses
• material located to date
• policy and procedures required
• known history of the parties
• records that could be tapped
• the weather at the time

Question 14

Appreciation technique

Step 3- Courses open

Answer 14

Courses open are the options you can identify after assessed the factors and the deductions made from the factors.

Question 15

Appreciation technique

Step 4- Plan

Answer 15

Select the most appropriate courses for attention and plan the action you can take

review your plan by assessing it - is it achievable, will it pass the SELF test, is it proportionate