...Phase 1: Individual Project 1 CJFI360-1601A-01: Introduction to Criminalistics Professor: Frank Smith Colorado Technical University Online Obaid Rahman January 11, 2016 As the lead investigator for your investigations unit you have been selected by your supervisor to develop an updated list of qualifications for new prospective investigators who apply to transfer into the unit. In particular your supervisor wants your feedback on several areas they feel will be key to the selection process. Keep in mind that your paper should be 4 to 5 pages in length, not counting the cover sheet, abstract, and reference section, and the paper should meet all APA6 standards and requirements. Assignment Guidelines Address the following in 750–1,000 words: What are some of the characteristics the unit should look for in a potential investigator? Explain. In particular, explain why honesty and integrity are critical qualities for investigators to possess. What would be the educational level you would recommend for the beginner investigator to possess before being accepted into the unit? Why? How would prior experience in the field play a role (if any) in your decision on your educational requirements? Explain. What role will previous work history and supervisory recommendations play in the decision making process? Why? Be sure to reference all sources using APA style. References Federal Law Enforcement Officers, 2004, Brian A. Reaves, Ph.D.(August 2008), Retrieve from...
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...The Criminal Investigation Process is a very important aspect of the criminal justice system in today’s society. The smallest mistake in any investigation can allow a dangerous criminal to walk free. The process sets guidelines for law enforcement officers and forensic investigators to follow when processing a scene, collecting evidence, and reporting their findings. The essential steps for any investigations team to follow are: Determine team composition, control contamination, document the scene, prioritize evidence collection, and collect, preserve, inventory, package, and transport and submit evidence. After all of that is accomplished the team has to get together to debrief about the crime scene, perform the final survey of the scene and document it. From there the evidence is processed, lab tests are performed, and all the information is submitted to the district attorney’s office so that charges can be filed. Following the process carefully and correctly is very important to the investigation; any missed steps can result in overlooked evidence and can bring the investigation to a standstill. The investigation process is vital to an investigation’s success and to the conviction of the criminals involved. The first step in the criminal investigation process is to determine the team composition. This step requires the lead investigator to assess the scene quickly and determine what resources and how many personnel will be necessary to process the scene efficiently. The...
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...Criminal Investigation: Final Essay Criminal Investigation 2530 12/3/15 Question 1 The first stage of the criminal investigation process is crime detection. First responding officers must take notes, watch persons leaving/entering crime scene area, scan, assess and reassess for officer’s safety. Officers need to address medical care issue to the people that need it. They must control, identify, and secure initial interviews. They must establish crime scene boundaries. Officers must identify and preserve crime scene evidence like the groceries, handwritten note, phone, bloody shoe print, shoe print in the dirt, fingerprints on the woman, gun bullet, and fingerprints on the purse like in the sample crime scene. Officers would most likely be doing different things at different crimes scenes. They must notify and brief investigators on what happened; and they must review and prepare final documentation. The second stage of the criminal investigation process is the preliminary investigation. Investigators need to: establish a division of labor, obtain information from first responders, interview key individuals like witnesses, conduct a reassessment of the crime scene, canvass the crime scene area, examine the crime scene and process the crime scene. Investigators must also photograph the crime scene, sketch the crime scene, measure the crime scene, search the crime scene, and do a final walk through and release the crime scene for evidence pertaining to the crime scene...
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...According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), there were a total of 14,827 reported murders in the USA (FBI.) The first thing that investigators look at when they arrive at the crime site is DNA evidence from the criminal. Once the DNA evidence is collected they will attempt to create a DNA profile to match the assailant to one of the suspects. Although this procedure may seem perfect, when put into action, there are often several issues. One of the biggest issues is the fact that the DNA sample collected from the scene is incomplete. Often only partial samples are collected and it leaves room for doubt during the prosecution. In addition, during laboratory analysis of the DNA sample, the use of different machines and the amount of...
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...Truro Police Department CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION Policy Number: OPS-6.02 REFERENCE: TPDM Policy OPS-6.02.1 Effective Date: June 1, 2000 Revised Date: October 20, 2004 Accreditation Standards: Mass. Gen. Law: Chap. 90, Sec.22B, MRCP 14(a)(1)(A)(viii) Other: Comm. v. DiGiambattista, District Attorney’s Guidelines on Identification Procedures _________________________ POLICY: It shall be the policy of the Truro Police Department to conduct criminal investigations for the purpose of clearing crimes by arrest and/or complaint; to prosecute lawbreakers; and to recover stolen property. Whenever members of this department conduct an investigation, which requires the interrogation of a suspect, or an interview, connected therewith, all constitutional and statutory rights guaranteed under the law shall be afforded to the individual. The Truro Police Department will ensure that there is a screening of all reported offenses to assure adequate follow-up investigation whenever appropriate. Whenever possible, the District Attorney’s Guidelines on Identification Procedures with attached forms and checklists will be used when dealing with photo line ups, arrays, show ups and taped interrogations and identifications. (Revised October 20, 2004) PROCEDURES: 1. UNIFORM PATROLMEN CONDUCT PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS: Most preliminary investigations will be conducted by members of the patrol force since they are usually the first to arrive at the scene and can start the investigation without delay. Patrolmen...
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...Discuss three of the Questions for Discussion and Review on page 18 A criminal investigation is an official effort to uncover information about a crime. The goals of a criminal investigation are to determine if a crime has been committed, to legally obtain information and evidence to identify the person(s) responsible for committing the crime, and to legally arrest the suspect(s). The ultimate goal is a reduction in crime through punishing offenders by incarceration. I do not believe that incarcerating criminal offenders reduces crime from occurring. Criminal evidence is an exhibit or testimony regarding a crime. As I read about evidence, I learned that it can take many forms, and is typically used to establish that a crime has been committed and identify blame or fault in a crime case. I find it interested that police and other officials may use a variety of methods to conduct criminal investigations including working with their canines. They also may use various scientific techniques such as fingerprint and ballistics analysis. Criminal evidence and criminal investigation are conjoined with one another simply because in order to compile evidence a crime must be investigated. It is interested to mention that while the simple presence of police in an area may not prevent crime, aggressive patrol may make a difference. Proactive policing operations focus on the concentration of crime in certain offenders, places and victims. It includes going undercover, stopping and...
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...ѕеriοuѕ сrimеѕ, ѕuсh аѕ driving withοut а liсеnѕе, саn bе сοnсludеd in οnе сοurt ѕеѕѕiοn. In thеѕе typеѕ οf саѕеѕ, thе judgе liѕtеn tο thе еvidеnсе, mаkе dесiѕiοn rеgаrding thе guilt οr innοсеnсе, аnd pаѕѕ vеrdiсt аgаinѕt thе guilty. Οn thе οthеr hаnd, саѕеѕ thаt invοlvе ѕеriοuѕ сrimе ѕuсh аѕ murdеr аnd kidnаpping саn bе prеѕеntеd in frοnt οf а grаnd jury. Thiѕ jury thаt οftеn сοnѕiѕtѕ οf 16 tο 23 pеοplе dесidеѕ whеthеr thеrе iѕ ѕuffiсiеnt еvidеnсе аgаinѕt thе ассuѕеd аnd ѕhοuld thiѕ саѕе gο οn fοr thе triаl. In prасtiсе, mοѕt οf thе саѕеѕ аrе ѕеttlеd by plеа bаrgаining. In thiѕ prοсеdurе, thе pеrѕοn аgrееѕ tο plеаd guilty in еxсhаngе οf ѕhοrtеr priѕοn ѕеntеnсе (Jerold et al., 2003). References Jerold H.; Kamisar, Y.; LaFave, R. (2003). Criminal Procedure and the Constitution: Leading Supreme Court Cases and Introductory Text. St. Paul, MN: West...
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...Don't Put The " Black Box " “It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so fucking what." ( Stephen Fry) . Censorship is blocking out the full truth for you to see or hear , censoring can be as simple as adding the black box , the beeeeep noises, or it can just be replacing a single word. We as free minded human beings should and will have to be allowed to see and hear the truth behind the black box or even the beeeeeeep noises because of the first amendment that protects our freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition. It is my opinion that censorship is unnecessary in general; as stated in the first amendment we have rights as people and censoring our freedom of press is unconstitutional. There should be no censorship on anything because it hides the full truth from us and that is very important because without knowing the truth you don't know anything about anything. As Wyman said " I can not add just one word to a sentence to completely change its meaning. Wait! I can add just one word to a sentence to completely change its meaning. In fact, I can add one letter: I can't add just one word to a sentence to completely change its meaning." It is as simple as removing a word or adding a word it gives you a completely...
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...------------------------------------------------- Jeffrey Dahmer ------------------------------------------------- AJ 63-Criminal Investigations ------------------------------------------------- Shane Brashear 25 OCT 13 The killing of three or more people, by the same individual, is considered serial killings. The murders are often committed with in days, weeks, months, or years apart. Most serial killers are afraid of being caught, and they take precautions in order to continue killing . Serial killers tend to murder strangers rather than people they know. Their victims normally have something in common such as age, race, educational background, gender, occupation, or facial features. Serial killers normally have an image of the perfect victim, but will sometimes settle for anyone, if he cannot find his preference. Victims who are from broken homes, runaways, prostitutes, and they who suffer from drug and alcohol abuse normally fall prey to serial killers. Serial murders sometimes share common characteristic; however, their approach to killing might differ. According to Fahui Wang, some serial killers are organized and others are disorganized. Some serial killers are very organized, and they plan their attacks with care; they tend to be very selective in choosing their victims, and oftentimes, follow the same patterns when committing a crime. Their crimes are planned in detail, and they involve various ways in which the murders will occur. Some...
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...Courtney Sands December 4, 2015 Professor Sever Criminal Investigation Unit 2: Reconstructing the Past As we are covering unit two within our discussion and seminar. As the assignment was presented to us. We have to discuss the methods of inquiry and how they are used in criminal investigations, then the steps to reconstruct a case and how we illustrate the concepts through a hearsay case, then understanding the fundamentals are identified witness, offenders, connecting evidence from the scene. A method of inquiry must be based on the assembly of the obvious, experimental, and measureable evidence subject to specific value of reasoning. It is part of the technical method, and they are used as part of a criminal investigation to achieve a number of goals, but biggest of which is usually determine the criminal. The scientific method is a systematic approach of observation, theory testing, and hypothesis evaluation that forms the basis for modern science. The method of analysis, at the most basic level, includes interviews and interrogations, and a on a crime scene specific levels also includes canvassing. Who gives the investigators information on what they could have seen what possibly could have happened at the scene. Interviews are non-protective, and are the common way to gather information from crime victims and witnesses, or even from stoolpigeons who might passes further information to help shed light upon the facts on the open case. Cross-examinations on the...
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...1. Your affiant is assisting in an investigation involving Bryce Catlett performing sexual acts to an adult male, Cody Holliday, by serving the victim alcoholic mixed beverages to the point in which he blacked out and woke up naked with the suspect on top of him. 2. Your affiant learned through a Muskogee Patrol Officer, Officer Wilkins, the victim, Cody Holliday, went to the hospital after being, drugged, sexually assaulted and coming to. 3. Holliday stated his underwear is still missing and believed to still be inside of the Catlett’s home. 4. Holliday stated he blacked out and came to several times. One of the times he was coherent he went to the bathroom and attempted to call for help. Catlett confronted him about the specifics of the...
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...Lawyers must know how to investigate slip and fall accidents, as they aren't as easy to prove as automobile accidents and other personal injury claims. At times, the property owner and other individuals may be held responsible, but liability must be demonstrated before this is the case. People fall every day, thus many cases are simply an accident with no person to blame. A lawyer recognizes this and determines which is the case in any given situation. Establishing Liability In order to establish liability, one of the following items must be established. One, the property owner or his or her employee needs to have brought about the worn or torn spot, the spill or the dangerous or slippery item or surface that brought about the fall. Two, he or she or their employee must have known about it and failed to take action. Third, the property owner or an employee should have been able to identify the risk as a reasonable person would have found it and taken corrective action. In the third situation, it's often a matter of common sense. Reasonableness The negligence claim centers on the actions of the defendant and whether they were reasonable. A property owner needs to regularly maintain a property to ensure it is clean and safe. The lawyer looks to see if this has been done, how long the object or item was present and not removed and if another object would have been safer. These and numerous other issues need to be determined when deciding if the accident was truly an accident...
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...NARCO-ANALYSIS AS A TOOL FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION Project Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements For The Degree of Master of Laws of the Mahatma Gandhi University. By NIJIL.D PREFACE . In India scientific methods have emerged as a tool for interrogation and extraction of information from uncooperative suspects and witnesses. But the legality of these methods is in peril, mostly because of the procedure involved and the nature of information obtained through these method. Most of these modern techniques are non invasive methods, which can detect deception without causing physical or mental injury to the subject. Narco-analysis is one of the important techniques among them. It makes use of scientific methods by which the medicine “truth serum” is injected to the convicts so as to prove the crime. But they often raise doubts regarding basic human rights and also about their legal validity. Also when some up holds it’s validity in the light of medical and legal principals and others rejects it on the ground of health hazards and a blatant violation of constitutional provisions. Thus the main issue regarding narco-analysis is its ultimate admissibility in court as forensic evidence and its useful in investigation scientific technique. Recently the supreme court of India in the case of Smt. Selvi and others v. state of Karnataka, has held that involuntary subjecting an accused, a suspect or a witness to narco-analysis...
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...This story was very hard to write and plan. The reason behind that though was the story itself was very hard to create and out into words, it meant leaving the 21st century and entering the 17th century and trying to figure out how the citizens during that era would talk, walk and act. As a writer the class had to not only figure out how to create a storyline that works within the time period but we had to figure out what technology, if there was technology used at all. During the research of this particular era I established that crimes that were committed were often not so solved because there was no evidence to back up the allegation. The other problem I had with writing this story was the word limit. I felt the word limit was to low for this type of genre. When you think crime, you usually think long ethical stories that matches the evidence. Where as with this word count it was harder to write a story that matched up evidence so that's why I chose to leave my story on a cliff hanger rather than solving my case and the other reason for not solving my case was that back in the 1800s there was no way to check if the evidence was legitimate evidence because they didn't have machines or anyway to match up DNA with a victim of a killer. Originally I had an alternate ending planed. Where one Margaret wasn't going to die but instead I chose that ending because the next part of the story could be interpreted by the reader and how they wanted it to end wether they wanted it to...
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...Three Important Criminal Investigation Questions Brendon L. Johnson Tarleton State University Terry v. Ohio (1968) put new rules in place when it comes to the stop and frisk. This law lets officers to be able to stop someone, as you need to only have reasonable suspicion that the person in question has or is about to commit a crime. As for the frisk the officer needs to show that it was for his own safety. For example, say a police officer is conducting a stop and frisk, during the stop and frisk he puts his hand into the suspect's pocket and finds a baggie of cocaine. First thing that the officer did wrong is that he or she put their hand in the suspect's pocket during a stop and frisk. In Criminal Law Stop and Frisk article by Allan Ashman, the office can make a quick...
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