SU 1 Criminal Investigation

Question 1

What is the primary function of a police investigation?

Answer 1

The prevention of crime.

Question 2

When crimes are committed police are responsible to…

Answer 2

• collect information ​during the criminal investigation;
  ​- identify the alleged perpetrators;
• ensure the presence of the alleged perpetrator @ the ​court trial;
• submit evidence to the court to reveal the alleged perpetrators unlawful actions.

Question 3

Define the concept of “criminal investigation”

Answer 3

It is a systematic search for the truth.

It is a multi-faceted, dynamic problem solving endeavour:

• upon arrival @ the scene of the crime, an official must make quick decisions, sometimes involving life or death, based on limited information in a dynamic environment which is active and with events that are evolving 1 for e.g. a criminal act that is still in progress.
• After a criminal event is concluded the investigator must preserve the crime scene, collect the information and devise an investigative plan that will conclude in forming reasonable grounds for arresting/id those responsible for the crime.

Question 4

2 sources of information available during the criminal investigation:

Answer 4

Objective and subjective

Question 5

What is objective information?

Answer 5

• factual/physical proof
  ​- essentially the objects
• e.g. weapons, bullets, bullet casings, finger prints, shoe prints, bite marks, hair, fibre, body fluids
  ​also referred to as mute, circumstantial, or indirect information- because it requires analysis by forensic
  experts.

Question 6

What is subjective information?

Answer 6

• Derived from real sensory experiences, or knowledge of people about a relevant crime situation
• Direct source of information - Direct​ information
• No forensic experts needed​ the information will prove the point itself
• Any information that can show the ​court that something occurred, without the need for the court to make assumptions to reach a conclusion.

Question 7

5 components of a criminal investigation:

Answer 7

Criminal investigation is a systematic, planned process.
Information.
Recognition.
Gathering, packaging and preserving of physical information.
Evaluation.

Question 8

Skills of criminal investigators:

Answer 8

Critical incident response proficiency
​ Understanding and interpretation of criminal law and procedural requirements
​* Crime scene management expertise
​* Information identification skills
​* Willingness to engage with forensic experts who possess the forensic tools for analysis of physical information
​* Witness assessment and interviewer competencies
* Suspect questioning and interrogation skills
* diligent case prep and documentation capabilities
​* Strategic analytical thinking skills
​* apply deductive, inductive, and quantitative reasoning to assess info

Question 9

Criminal investigators should strive to be…

Answer 9

Forensic generalist and coordinators of scientific knowledge.

Question 10

How does contamination of information occur?

Answer 10

when information is altered to the extent that it cald affect the integrity of the original item or crime scene.

Question 11

Ways in which contamination can take place:

Answer 11

*Police or other first responders can interfere with physical information during a tactical investigative response
Suspects can interfere with the crime scene to cover up or remove physical information
​Victims or witnesses may handle the physical information
*Animals, including pets, can cause unwanted transfer of physical information or even removal of physical information through contact or consumption
*Weather-related contamination can occur due to rain washing away physical information or diluting it
*Criminal investigators may fail to follow proper crime scene management procedures and inadvertently cause contamination of items or cross-contamination between items during their investigation

Question 12

How to deal with biological specimens?

Answer 12

*Biological material/specimens should not be packaged in plastic bags; instead, paper bags or envelopes should be used.
*Biological material/specimens should be packed separately to avoid cross-contamination between items/specimens.
*Avoid touching, taking off gloves, or coughing/sneezing over or near biological material.
*Wet specimens (e.g. blood) should preferably be air-dried before packaging.
*Avoid excessive heat when collecting, transporting or storing biological material.
*Close, seal, or tape the paper bag or envelope. The investigator must initial, date, and indicate the time across the sealed area.

Question 13

Why is evaluation of information important?

Answer 13

it will determine if the information is relevant, reliable, and conclusive→ revealing the whole truth about the crime.

Question 14

Objectives of criminal investigation

Answer 14

Identification of crime
Gathering of information
Individualisation of the crime
Arrest of alleged perpetrator
Recovery of stolen property
Involvement in prosecution process

Question 15

Father of forensic criminalistics

Answer 15

Hans Gross

Question 16

Two subsystems of forensic criminalistics

Answer 16

Forensic tactics and forensic techniques

Question 17

Define forensic criminalistics

Answer 17

Integrated process involving:
Identification of criminal act and persons involved whether dead or alive.
Methods and techniques used by criminal investigator.
Laboratory analysis by forensic experts.

Criminal investigators search for the truth starts at the crime scene and can be seen as field laboratory collecting subjective and objective info.