Initial Response to Homicide or Serious Crime Flashcards
(31 cards)
Initial Police Responders
Primary functions
Consider what risk(s) may exist.
- Attending a scene at an early stage
- Taking control of the situation; and
- Co-ordinate taks.
Identification of Homicide Cases
Whilst most offences of homicide are identified as a result of a body being found or by a person responsible for the offence making admissions, some incidents notified to Police are not initially identifiable as a homicide.
Such instances include:
- report of a missing person
- sudden unexplained death of an infant
- unexplained death
- report of an abduction
- report of violence where no fatalities are anticipated
- crime scene without a body present
- hit and run vehicular collision
- suicide
- fatal fire
- drug related deaths
Initial Responsibilities
(V)ictim - Identify and locate the victim(s).
(A)ppreciation - Make an initial appreciation of the incident. Assess personal risk and the preserve the lives of others.
(W)itnesses - Locate and contain witnesses.
(S)cene - Preserve the scene (e.g. set boundaries).
(E)xhibits - Note evidence and preserve any that would otherwise be lost or destroyed.
(I)ngredients - Consider whether the ingredients of the alleged offence have been established.
(P)owers - Identify what powers are available and consider whether to execute them.
(O)ffeners - Identify and apprehend suspect(s).
Initial Responsibilities
FCGP
Freeze
Control
Guard
Preserve
Appreciation
Definition
A proven method of problem solving. It follows a series of steps to ensure the optimum course of action is decided upon.
It considers all appropriate factors and weighs the benefits and risks of all alternative solutions, allowing sound decision to be taken.
It is an ongoing process which involves continually thinking through each new piece of information as it is uncovered.
Appreciation
Benefits
- Informs all Police what they are expected to achieve
- Increases the chances of success, i.e. the investigation aims / objectives being met
- Establishes a sequence of activities to be carries out
- Manages risk
- Reduces uncertainty
- Eliminates duplication
- Ensures nothing is overlooked
- Effective use of resources.
Appreciation
Aim
Aim: Is a short statement which succinctly demonstrates a single objective.
- Must be clear, accurate and concise. Must be chosen carefully as the wrong aim will produce the wrong result.
- Aim must be considered when making decisions.
Appreciation
Factors
Factors: Any circumstance or fact that could possibly have an effect on the manner in which you will achieve your desired outcome. e.g. risk to life, suspects, resources available, evidence preservation, weather, history of relevant parties.
- “So what?”
- “What does this mean?”
- “Therefore”
Logical deductions made of factors must be further deduced themselves.
Appreciation
Courses Open
Courses Open: are a list of all the possible ways the aim could be achieved, bearing in mind the factors and the deductions made from those factors.
Advantages, disadvantages and risks of each alternative must be carefully examined and evaluated.
- What are the possible results or consequences of each alternative?
- Which alternative is the most appropriate to reach the objective?
- From these considerations, decide on the most appropriate course to achieve your aim.
Appreciation
Plan
Plan: a proposed course of action designed to put the selected course into action in order to achieve the desired aim.
Must be:
- a logical outcome of the appreciation
- clear, concise and leaves no room for misinterpretation
- designed to avoid introducing matters not previously considered by the appreciation
- consistently considerate of safety issues
- recorded
- delivered to staff using GSMEAC.
Adopting an Investigative Mentality
No matter what the circumstances of the death are, Police’s purpose is always to investigate thoroughly and gather sufficient evidence to satisfactorily explain the circumstances of death.
Complainants and Informants
Obtaining Information
Who they are • identity and location of the suspect • identity of the victim • relationship to the victim or suspect • full contact details • demeanour and clothing
What they know • a first hand account of what they know • circumstances leading to the discovery • location of the scene • details of anyone else at the scene
What they did
• action they have taken and where they have been
• any hazards or safety issues that may affect Police approaching the scene/victim.
Complainants and Informants
Delayed Police Response
Where evidence may be lost or contaminated, in order to reduce the risk, the complainant / informant may be asked:
- to return to the proximity of the scene, guard it, if it is considered safe for them to do so
- not to enter the obvious boundaries of the scene
- not to touch or move anything
- to prevent others from entering or touching the scene
- to wait Police arrival and identify themselves to the first Police at the scene.
Establish the Victim’s Medical Status
- Alive and uninjured: Proceed to preserve the scene
- Alive but injured
- Shows no sign of life
Victim is Alive but Injured
On Attendance
- Call ambulance
- Note body position and movements
- Record details of ambulance staff
- Detective to accompany or attend hospital without delay.
Victim is Alive but Injured
At the hospital
Victim
- Obtain a medical opinion as to the victim’s current medical condition.
- Establish the victim’s identity.
- Note and photograph any injuries.
Exhibits
- Seize the victims clothing and other possessions as evidence.
- 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 in cases where firearm use is suspected, including from the victim of any apparent suicide involving a firearm.
- Arrange DNA swabs to be taken from the victim’s skin, where they would be relevant to the particular circumstances of the case.
- Obtain a pre-transfusion blood sample using Police Toxicology Kit containers.
Statements
- Obtain details of any and all persons who visit or contact the victim.
- Conduct a scoping interview with the victim where this would not adversely affect the medical welfare of the victim. Consider recording immediate statement if they may die, whether the victim can sign or not. Reliability of the statement: nature, content, circumstances of making, circumstances of veracity and accuracy.
- Conduct a preliminary interview with ambulance and emergency staff who treated the victim.
Victim Shows no Sign of Life
Body
- Consider calling an ambulance and resuscitation, if appropriate. If the victim has to be moved for this purpose, note the original body position and record any previous movements.
- Arrange a doctor to pronounce life extinct, unless death is obvious i.e. a decapitated or badly decomposed body.
- Remain with the body until relieved by CIB or a supervisor
- Treat the ‘victim’ as a scene (do not move the body unnecessarily).
Medical
- Instruct medical staff to leave clothes on the body
- Request that connecting medical items including tubes, needles, bandages are left ‘in situ’
- If possible, conduct scoping interviews with medical staff who treated the victim and establish their actions, apparent cause of death and injury type(s).
- Ascertain if the victim spoke to anyone before death and record what was said.
Record
- Sketch a plan including the position of the body and position of exhibits.
- Record body position, lividity (gravitational settling of the blood), obvious injuries and clothing.
- Record all exhibits.
- Objectively record everything observed using all senses, including sight, sound and smell
- Provide full information to the OC Investigation, at an early stage.
Preserving the Scene
Identify
- Consider warrantless powers
- What is happening, who is there, note and record observations
- Establish crime scene itself, parameters, boundaries, body, exhibits, weapons or items
- Consider common approach paths (CAP) to avoid paths taken by the suspect and victim
- Other scenes
- SFP and provide SITREP to comms.
Preserving the Scene
Secure
- Consider warrantless powers
- Removal of all persons using CAP
- Establish cordoned parameters, Police tape
- Arrange and brief scene guards
- Arrange crime scene logs
- Prevent unauthorised person entering / leaving
- Prevent loss or damage of exhibits by weather, animals etc.
Preserving the Scene
Preserve
- Consider best path into the scene
- Record any movement / action taken
- Ensure nothing touched or moved. Items l.eft “in situ”
- Consider stepping plates
- Take immediate action to preserve / record evidence i.e. rain.
Preserving the Scene
Consider
- Initial photograph of the scene and persons.
Preserving the Scene
Record
- Scene log
- Full details of persons at the scene
- Sketch of scene
- Photographs and videos
- Identify anything moved, noting original positions
- Make record of above and report to OC Investigation.
Crime Scene Logs and Scene Guards
Purpose
CSL records: details, times, purpose of those entering, attempting to enter and leaving the scene. Only one log per point of access.
A scene guard and the log maintained by that person is to ensure:
- There is no unauthorised entry
- Integrity of evidence is secured
- Intelligence opportunities are maximised
- Contamination issues are managed.
Scene Guard Duties
- Secure scene: prevent unauthorised access
- Record details: name/designation, authority, purpose, time of entry and exit
- Control movements: CAP
- Record movements
- Brief others
- Avoid disturbance: not personally entering the scene
- Protect scene: e.g. animals
- Brief replacement
- Respect security: do not discuss matter with public/media
- Demonstrate curtesy
- Inform others: actions taken to OC.
