Part 9 Area Canvas Enquiries Flashcards
What is the purpose of a area canvas?
- Identifying the offender and associates
- ID movements of the offender prior to offence
- ID significant witnesses
- ID evidence or exhibits
- Establishing significant facts
What is the responsibilities of the OC area canvas
- Conduct a area canvas thoroughly and record accurately.
- Ensure area canvas is an efficient use of resource
- Report to the OC investigations of relevant and manageable information or material
List the objectives of an area canvas
- Identifying the offender
- Identifying and locating evidence, such as vehicles, discarded clothing, weapons and other articles
- Identifying witnesses
- Gathering information.
List other benefits to a area canvas
- Sightings of the victim or offender before or after the event
- Sightings of relevant property or vehicles
- Sightings of potential witnesses
- Creating the opportunity for an early arrest through early identification of the offender
- Obtaining key information to drive the investigation or develop lines of enquiry
- Promoting awareness of significant occurrences
- Eliminating unidentified vehicles or persons reported by other witnesses
- Obtaining an accurate record of the local community.
What needs to be done when getting ready for an area canvas?
PREPARATION - Obtain area canvas checklist
RECONNAISSANCE - Attend general scene asap with OC investigations and OC suspects to obtain appreciation of the area within
APPRECIATION PROCESS - Consider what extent and for what purpose he canvas is being carried out. Simple Qs to be asked is WHY/locations involved/parameters covered/Qs asked/staff involved etc
ID location parameters within a area canvas. List some examples.
- Scenes ie where offenders, witness, victim have been/sites where offences took place/sites where vehicle, property, exhibits have been found
- Premises within line of sight of scene
- areas where offender may have lain and waited
- locations where the victim was last seen alive
Who can assist with deciding locations of a area canvas?
- Behavioural science Unit
- Criminal or geographical profilers
Once parameters have been set, list what needs to be considered in regards to a risk assessment.
- violent offenders
- persons wanted by police for other crimes or wanted on warrant
- groups with particular linguistic or cultural needs
- local incidents or issues which residents may raise with Police.
When identifying potential witnesses what needs to be considered in terms of the information they may have that could be relevant, ulitmatley making them a witness.
- events connected to an incident under investigation
- sightings of the victim or offender before or after the event
- sightings of other potential witnesses
- sightings of relevant property or vehicles
Describe “Subject parameters”
- This used to ID persons who have been seen by other witnesses. Ie a man walking a dog. A subject parameter may include males and females under 15 for example
List the Key points for team briefings in relation to a area canvas
- Summarise situation and the duties and responsibilities of each team member
- Emphasise the need for thoroughness that every person in every household is seen personally
- Stress the questionnaire is only a guide and flexibility will be required
- Relevant info gathered must been conducted via FWS, not just NB entries
- Consider visiting the canvass area and record address/vacant premises etc and record on map
- Ensure all forms are completed and actioned outlined
- Reconcile completed locations to avoid duplication
- Advise what actions to take if suspect is ID/locate evidence/refuse to assist/how to complete correspondence flow/info that can and cannot be disclosed.
In relation to monitoring progress, the OC area canvass should continually review completed area canvass forms as they are submitted. Why?
- evaluate the quality of completed work and provide quality assurance
- identify lines of enquiry to be highlighted to the 2IC
- monitor ongoing progress of the canvass
- facilitate the detailed recording of progress.
What should the detailed master record of progress show?
- which addresses have been visited,
- which occupants interviewed,
- the documentation completed,
- and any relevant comments made.
What points should be considered that will benefit the area canvass?
- Use of experts in areas with diverse ethnic culture to avoid misinterpretation of responses and behaviour, ie ILO
- Use of an aide-memoir and script. This includes any resources use to assist jog witnesses memories
- Leaflets to leave at address to give details of investigation and contact police numbers.
- Other options such as media, poster campaign, mail drop
What should an area canvass Debriefing include?
- key locations where door to door enquiries have been undertaken
- parameters of initial Police activity
- what questions were asked and any perceived issues from the respondents
- what records have been completed
- who has been spoken to at what address
- whether personal descriptions been taken of persons seen
- whether NIA/Intelligence checks been completed in respect of persons seen
- relevant information provided by persons seen
- any intelligence obtained
- whether persons have a credible alibi
- whether witness interviews have been conducted and/or statements taken for persons providing evidence
- details/locations of vehicles owned by persons interviewed
- details of other persons who live or were present at the premises
- identity of any suspects
- details of premises where there was no response
- confirmation that all notebooks of staff members involved in the area canvass are accounted for
- whether any issues arose that could improve future performance in canvass enquiries.
