Crime Scene to Courtroom
trial
A ____________ is the examination of facts and related law presided over by a judge or other magistrate who has the authority or jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Most often, a sentencing hearing occurs after a trial.
A sentencing hearing can occur before a trial if the defendant accepts a plea. If during a trial, the defendant accepts a plea, a sentencing hearing will occur after a review of the defendant's previous convictions. The state attorney's office may request that you attend a sentencing hearing.
A person can be a crime scene or part of a crime scene.
After establishing that a crime has been committed and that it requires photographs, determine the type of evidence that can be present on the victim or witness.
Be prepared to conduct individual interviews by approaching each residence or business in the area and knocking on the door to contact the occupants.
Ask the occupant to answer a couple of questions and be courteous, respectful, and friendly to build your rapport and obtain cooperation. Tell the occupant that you are investigating a crime that occurred at a particular time and in a particular place. Do not reveal the details of the crime—names, seriousness, or how the crime was committed.
In your field notes, document all witnesses, victims, complainants, and suspects present by writing their names, dates of birth, addresses, sexes, races, and telephone numbers.
Ask vital witnesses to stay at the scene for interviewing. Witnesses are often hesitant to get involved. They like to stay around for the excitement but will often try to leave or remain in the background when police attempt to ask them questions concerning their knowledge of the event.
According to Florida law, the first appearance hearing must occur within 24 hours of the arrest.
At the first appearance hearing, the judge appoints counsel if the defendant qualifies and desires it.
All objects pictured must be important or relevant to the scene.
Avoid including bystanders, other officers, your equipment, or pets in crime scene photographs.
You can produce leads by visiting a suspect's workplace and other places that he or she frequents, such as clubs, bars, or gyms.
By interviewing acquaintances, friends, and family, you may learn the suspect's habits, abilities, and places where the suspect may conceal or hide evidence.
admissible evidence
Chapter 90, F.S., specifically identifies what constitutes _____________ including oral testimony. Florida Statutes defines admissible evidence as relevant evidence tending to prove or disprove an important fact, with numerous exceptions specified.
Biological evidence left at crime scenes may contain DNA.
Consider all objects at a crime scene as possible sources of DNA evidence. These specimens could be blood, saliva, urine, semen, perspiration, vaginal secretions, feces, or vomit.
A photographic array consists of a minimum of six photographs.
Each photograph should be of people with similar physical characteristics to those of the suspect and formatted alike. Use a minimum of five filler photographs together with only one photograph of the suspect. Filler photographs are photographs of people, other than the suspect, that complete the array. Each photo in the array should be of a different person with no duplications.
The state attorney must know or have access to everything you know about the case.
If he or she does not, then the court may suppress evidence and impose sanctions. Be familiar with all issues that could affect a successful prosecution. For example, the state attorney may discuss the admissibility of evidence and may ask you to bring evidence to trial.
Teeth can, in some cases, serve as identification and evidence.
In the event that you discover human skeletal remains, contact your supervisor and follow agency policies and procedures when processing the scene.
Additional leads can provide information that will further your investigation.
Leads may be physical evidence, further suspect information, witness statements, anonymous tips, and information gained while interviewing and processing existing information.
After finding the incident's location, address officer safety concerns and any victim or witness injuries, and secure the potential crime scene(s).
Look for sources of information about, and evidence of, the crime when securing a crime scene. The size of the crime scene depends on the type of crime, the type of evidence, and the location of the evidence. Use personal observations and statements from victims and witnesses to assist in determining the extent of a crime scene. Crime scene perimeters should be larger rather than smaller.
Pay particular attention to the proper collection of evidence.
Place evidence collected for DNA analysis in its own, separate container. Agency policies and procedures will dictate specific evidence-handling procedures.
Proper lighting provides good exposure for the photograph,
Proper lighting will also avoid glare and flashback from a mirror or glass.
There are special considerations for handling specific types of evidence
Proper tools, equipment, and appropriate containers and packaging help prevent contamination and degradation issues for each particular type of evidence.
Include the case number, location, date and time, and your name when submitting a photograph of a person.
Submit photographs according to your agency's policies and procedures and document in your report that you photographed the victim or witness.
You will collect two types of evidence at a crime scene.
Testimonial and Physical
Checking for a driver's license is one of the most common ways to locate an individual.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles houses the Florida Driver and Vehicle Information Database known as DAVID, which is available to all law enforcement officers.
As the investigation continues, assemble newly discovered information in the case file, determine its relative value, and immediately document its existence by submitting and attaching supplemental reports.
The investigative case file is the repository of all information derived from both the preliminary investigation and the follow-up investigation. Protect and maintain investigative case files according to agency policies and procedures.
bird's-eye-view
The most common method of sketching is using the/or downward observation perspective.
The victim or witness should demonstrate competence, attentiveness, a sound state of mind, and a lack of prejudice.
The victim or witness should demonstrate competence, attentiveness, a sound state of mind, and a lack of prejudice.
Conducting surveillance on a subject can continue the information gathering process begun during the preliminary investigation.
There are several ways to perform surveillance on a suspect's location: moving, stationary, and electronic.
An investigation occurs when you make detailed and systematic inquiries or observations.
This process begins upon your arrival at the scene of a reported crime and usually ends when you file the initial report, turn the matter over to a detective or investigator, or testify in court.
Use the identifying marks to conduct an NCIC/FCIC database check on the firearm.
This will tell you if the firearm is lost, stolen, or found. Conduct an eTrace database search through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to determine the original owner of the firearm or the firearms dealer.
Transport the victim or witness to the officer's location to identify the potential suspect.
To avoid the potential suspect being able to see the victim or witness, use vehicles with a dark window tint or illuminate the potential suspect with a bright light.
Computers are commonly found at crime scenes and can often store vital evidence.
Types of computer equipment and media may include tablets, laptops, desktops, thumb drives, external drives, network systems, removable disks, tapes, digital cameras, and other data storage equipment. DO NOT touch any part of the equipment to avoid possible damage to it. Computer evidence recovery is a complex task that requires highly specialized training. Follow agency policies and procedures for computer evidence recovery.
Never handle evidence with your bare hands.
Use personal protective equipment (PPE) whenever you handle or collect evidence. PPE will protect the evidence from contamination and you from exposure to dangerous substances.
rule of sequestration
When applicable, a judge might forbid all witnesses from discussing any aspect of a case with anyone but the involved attorneys. Florida Statutes, s. 90.616, addresses the ___________________, which states that you must follow the judges' orders completely when he or she invokes the rule. You must not be in the courtroom when other witnesses are giving testimony.
For example, at a burglary scene, search for evidence of illegal entry, such as pry marks on a doorframe or broken windows
When searching a scene for evidence, use a systematic approach or an established pattern.
Items used to construct a sketch include
a blank sheet of paper or graph paper, pen or pencil, tape measure, and a template or a ruler. Should your agency provide technology with the appropriate software, you can diagram a crime scene electronically.
After reviewing the report,
a follow-up investigation can include contacting witnesses, victims, and suspects, reviewing evidence, locating additional evidence, and writing a capias request, arrest affidavit, or arrest warrant.
Instruct people to move behind the crime scene tape,
advising that refusal may result in arrest. You have the authority to arrest any individual who, after receiving a warning, crosses an area marked by crime scene tape
Elimination prints
allow fingerprint analysts to distinguish between prints belonging to either the victims and witnesses or the possible suspects. To make this distinction, take inked fingerprints from innocent parties, who may have been at the crime scene, in order to eliminate their prints from the scene.
View the victim's injuries
and record detailed observations in the field notes, keeping in mind that you will use these notes to create reports and refresh your recollection when testifying.
Begin at the perimeter of the crime scene
and take sequential shots by framing a panoramic or four-corner view of the scene. The midrange view shots show the relationship between the evidence items within the scene. Close-up view shots show the details of a specific item of evidence and must include a scale or identifier. The objects you are photographing and the scale or identifier both need to be in focus. Look at the photograph after taking the picture to ensure that both are in focus. For example, if your crime scene were a room, the overall would be photographs of the room from all four corners. Midrange would be photographs of the sofa, and the close-up would be the blood on the sofa.
The primary officer or investigator will designate one point of entry and exit for the crime scene,
and will assign an officer to maintain a crime scene log at that location. If the investigator designates more than one point of entry or exit, he or she will assign an officer to each location and notify all officers to use the access point(s).
Latent prints
are among the most valuable types of physical evidence and one of the most common types of evidence you will recover at a crime scene. Although generally invisible to the naked eye, latent prints result from body residues left behind when the friction ridges of the hands or feet make contact with a surface.
Confidential informants
are people who furnish police with information about crimes, primarily because of the expectation of some personal benefit or advantage, and rarely out of a sense of civic duty. Both provide information; however, only confidential informants receive compensation for information. Never promise a field contact or a confidential informant any type of reward, favor, or reduced sentence.
Patent prints
are transferred from the friction ridges on fingers by a foreign substance (not a body residue), like blood, paint, or dirt, and are readily visible.
Sometimes fibers transfer
between the clothes of the victim and the assailant.
When photographing specific items such as
blood drops, weapons, or tire marks, place a scale or identifier in the photograph with the evidence to establish the original positions and draw attention to relevant objects or evidence for photographing and sketching. Use a scale or identifier to illustrate size and other valuable information relevant to the scene. Most agencies provide rulers or cards with rulers on them. Other examples of scales or identifiers are Miranda cards, dollar bills, coins, or rulers that you can use as a standard of measurement.
At a sentencing hearing,
both the defense and the prosecution have an opportunity to present evidence and testimony to recommend an appropriate sentence to the judge. The victim also has the right to make a victim impact statement. Your role is to provide the court with a complete picture of the defendant's actions, and the impact on them victim and society.
Concentrate on the "who" part of the investigation and establish a suspect's identity
by comparing information, evidence, known offenders, possible leads, and intelligence records.
The same person
can belong to more than one category.
Examples of perishable evidence
can include blood, footwear and tire impressions, or trace evidence such as hair or fibers. Transitory evidence is evidence that can blow or wash away. Fragile evidence can include a bullet hole in glass held into place by a thin window tint. Based on the circumstances at the scene, you need to photograph this type of evidence first.
Footwear impressions and tire tracks
can link a suspect to a crime when such impressions at the scene match an object in the suspect's possession. You can find these types of impressions in mud, soil, or another pliable material. Surface footwear impressions or tire prints can remain on wood, tile, paper, or paint, or in dust, blood, or grease.
Paint transfer
can provide useful evidence in solving crimes such as a hit-and-run crash.
Before placing the firearm in the box,
carefully examine it to identify the manufacturer, country of origin, serial number, model number, and caliber. Avoid evidence contamination. Document this information in your field notes, as you will need this information for your database check and final report
After obtaining the full name, race, sex, and date of birth,
conduct a criminal justice database search, such as DAVID, FALCON and FCIC/ NCIC, to gain an accurate physical description of the suspect, address, or vehicle.
If a wooden object or other material contains an embedded bullet,
do not attempt to remove it. If you find other weapons, follow agency policies and procedures for evidence recovery.
When involved in surveillance,
do not enter an area in which a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as the curtilage surrounding a residence. Follow your agency's policies and procedures regarding surveillance equipment and agency resources.
Ask the victim or witness if he or she recognizes the suspect;
do so in a way that avoids influencing the identification.
Should you suspect that the money is counterfeit currency,
document it as such and forward it to the United States Secret Service.
If a victim or witness is unable to make the identification,
document why he or she is unable to identify a suspect.
Crime scene sketches are a means of
documentation that aid in the reconstruction, explanation, and permanent recording of an incident. Sketches can show relative positions (spatial relationships) of objects within the crime scene that are not readily visible in photographs.
Separating family members
during a crisis might make a bad situation even worse.
pie/wheel search pattern
entails dividing the area into a number of wedge shaped sections, which are usually searched using the strip/line search pattern. Use this method for extremely large search areas.
Attempt to locate and identify the point of the suspect's
entry to and exit from the crime scene by visually inspecting the scene. Evidence of entry or exit might include broken glass or pry marks around doorways.
The preliminary investigation focuses on
establishing whether a criminal act has been committed and, if so, what type and when and where it was committed.
A few examples of evidence that you may find and collect at a crime scene are
fingerprints, shoe prints, blood, fibers, hair, tool marks, paint scratches, broken glass, body fluids, controlled substances, electronics equipment and computers, firearms, broken or damaged materials, tire tracks, documents, and bones.
Photographing the crime scene is the
first event that should take place before any detailed crime scene work begins.
When recovering a firearm or ammunition at a crime scene,
follow agency policies and procedures for handling such evidence. Always properly secure the weapon. Clear all bullets from the chamber or cylinder. Dislodge the magazine and any ammunition. Place the weapon in a firearm or evidence box; put the magazine and the ammunition in a separate container, then place them both in the firearm or evidence box.
Dr. Edmond Locard (1877-1966), a pioneer in forensic science,
formulated the fundamental principle of forensic science: "Every contact leaves a trace." Referred to as Locard's Exchange Principle, this contends that everyone who enters a crime scene will both bring something into and take something from it. The job of a crime scene analyst is to determine what evidence at the scene belongs to the criminal and not to the victims or witnesses.
The relation that fiber evidence
has to the victim, suspect, or the crime scene is crucial evidence in many cases. Broken windows, torn screens, or other sharp edges may snag fibers during a subject's entry into or exit from a building.
Evidence markers
help to document the relative positions of evidence items in the crime scene. Place evidence markers next to each piece of evidence within the crime scene after initially photographing the scene and developing your initial sketch. At this point, re-photograph the scene using overall, midrange, and close-up photography to include the evidence markers. If sketching the crime scene, place the evidence markers in the diagram to complete the sketch.
You may also find cell phones at crime scenes;
however, you cannot access information contained in a cell phone unless you have a search warrant. The US Supreme Court, in Riley v. California, 573 U.S. ____ (2014) ruled that it is unconstitutional to search a cell phone without a search warrant unless there are officer safety concerns or exigent circumstances.
The rules of evidence
in a first appearance hearing are more relaxed, as opposed to those of a trial to determine guilt or innocence.
Include a scale, ruler, or identifier
in each close-up photograph you take. Keep extra batteries for both the camera and the flashlight. Florida's climate is particularly hard on batteries, as heat deteriorates batteries. You can use a flashlight for extra lighting when taking photographs.
Electronic surveillance
involves monitoring a person of interest through tracking devices—cell phone or credit card use—which typically requires a court order.
Stationary surveillance
involves parking your vehicle some distance away in a location that allows an approach to the area on foot in a covert manner.
Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)
is a computerized logging system in which dispatch records every event reported and every instruction given chronologically by date and time.
chain of custody
is a documentation of everyone who handled the evidence as well as when, why, and what changes, if any, were made to it. A chain of custody documentation also proves the evidence submitted in court is the same evidence you collected at the crime scene.
canvass
is a door-to-door inquiry of all possible sources of information in a given area. It may require additional officers, depending on the size of the area. Canvassing an area in proximity to the incident or crime scene may yield additional witnesses, possibly new victims, a suspect or suspects, and evidence.
photographic array
is a group of photographs used in a photographic line-up. A photographic array can be more efficient than a live line-up because the agency can reprint existing photographs. Photographic arrays can increase the possibility that an adequate number of similar photographs are available for identification.
plastic print
is a molded or imbedded fingerprint created by touching an impressionable surface, such as wet paint or mud that you can easily see.
suspect
is a person believed to have committed a crime or offense.
victim
is a person harmed by a crime.
complainant
is a person who alleges that a crime has been committed or can be the person who calls the police.
witness
is a person who sees, knows, or vouches for something and may make a sworn statement about that information.
independent administrator
is an officer who administers a photographic array, has no knowledge of the suspect information, and will meticulously avoid any conduct that might influence, directly or indirectly, a victim's or a witness' decision.
deposition
is an official court proceeding in which all parties, with the exception of the defendant, provide sworn testimonies regarding the facts of the case to one of the attorneys (defense or prosecutor) prior to trial.
field contact
is any person an officer has contact with while on patrol—such as a concerned citizen or an anonymous complainant with a sense of civic duty—who does not necessarily generate an incident report.
A document
is anything containing a mark to convey a message.
Evidence
is anything that tends to prove or disprove an alleged fact.
Photographic framing
is composing the photograph so that it depicts what you are trying to document.
Moving surveillance
is following a person of interest on foot or in a police vehicle.
Triangulation
is the most common method of surveying (measuring and documenting) objects within the crime scene. This method measures objects from at least two fixed points, forming a triangle.
investigation
is the process of making detailed and systematic inquiries and observations about a criminal complaint. The purpose of an investigation is to recreate what happened during the incident, identify and locate the suspect, and develop enough evidence to establish probable cause to make an arrest.
Microanalysis
is the process of microscopically analyzing trace evidence, such as paint, glass, and cloth fibers, to determine a possible source or origin.
Study the whole scene first,
keeping in mind that the relationships of the items' positions may be important.
Include the case number,
location, date and time, and your name when submitting photographs. This can be as simple as photographing your computer screen after logging in case information or photographing a whiteboard with case information on it.
Violating the rule of sequestration
may mean the judge will penalize or punish the witness. The judge may instruct the jury to disregard the testimony of the witness or strike it from the record. The judge could even declare a mistrial. Whether or not the judge invokes the rule, you must never communicate with a juror or known potential juror, except as directed by the court. If you observe a possible violation, report it immediately to the courtroom bailiff or the presiding judge.
Some involved parties
may try to intimidate others into giving you false information.
Modus operandi
meaning mode of operating or MO, refers to how someone does something, usually repetitive in nature. People are creatures of habit. If something works one time, they tend to think it should work the next time. This thinking often shows up in criminal activity. The same person or group may well have committed similar crimes that exhibit a pattern, or the same or similar MO.
Some involved parties may have an unknown
motive to mislead officers.
Tell all involved parties
not to discuss the incident until after their interview is completed.
suppression hearing
occurs after the defense files a motion to suppress or to exclude certain testimony or evidence from the trial, alleging that your improper actions violated their client's rights. This hearing usually occurs before the trial but also may occur during the trial. The court will call on you to testify to your actions related to the stop, detention, arrest, search, seizure, statements, confessions, or evidence that the defense is trying to suppress.
Sequential presentation
occurs when an independent administrator presents individual photographs to the victim or witness one at a time. Number all of the photographs in the array prior to conducting a sequential presentation. Instruct the victim or witness to mark all photography with either "identification" or "nonidentification." This makes it clear which photographs the victim or witness actually viewed and chose as the suspect. Only if the victim or witness requests, and after displaying every photograph, the independent administrator may repeat the entire array only once and in the same sequence as originally presented. Present the entire sequence again, even if the victim or witness only requests to see one or a few of the photographs. Obtain a sworn statement from the victim or witness regarding the line-up results.
It is easier to reduce the size
of a perimeter than to enlarge it. A larger crime scene also helps keep crowds away from the evidence.
The toxicology section of a laboratory analyzes samples
of blood, to determine chemical and alcohol content, and urine, to detect chemical content. In a criminal investigation in which you suspect alcohol or drug use on the part of the suspect or the victim, you may consider obtaining an analysis by the toxicology section of a laboratory. Such cases usually result from investigations of DUI, sexual assault, and death. Toxicology also analyzes alcoholic beverages for suspected chemicals, such as date-rape drugs or alcoholic levels.
Public records
of government entities and publicly owned utilities are records that, with few exceptions, you may access on demand. Public records from federal, state, county, and city databases can provide additional information regarding the suspect's address, employment information, and other essential facts. Agency policies and procedures dictate which databases are available to you and how you can access them.
Document all statements
of identification and non-identification.
Private records
of privately owned businesses or organizations, including privately owned utilities, are not open to the public, including law enforcement, and require court orders to access them.
grid search pattern
often used indoors; a variation of the strip/line search pattern. Searchers overlap a series of lanes in a cross pattern, making the search more methodical and thorough.
Experts can analyze the direction of blood spray
or spatter to determine the type of weapon, the direction of the attack, and the relative size of the attacker.
Microanalysis can identify and compare
other materials such as textile fibers, plastics, duct tape, lamp filaments, and fractured, torn, or cut items.
Crime Scene Log
provides proof of security and validates the evidence collected at a crime scene. If evidence is contaminated or altered in any way, document the incident in the contamination list or your report. Include information about the original condition of the evidence and the events leading to its damage or destruction.
There are two main types of information
public records and private records.
Off the record
refers to information not recorded in an official document.
Use one or more of the following search patterns:
strip/line search pattern, grid search pattern, pie/wheel search pattern, spiral search pattern, zone/quadrant search pattern.
The crime laboratory's chemistry section analyzes substances
submitted to the laboratory to determine the presence or absence of any controlled substance as listed under s. 893.03, F.S. Analysts prepare reports of their findings and often testify in court regarding the results of their analyses.
Teeth can provide dental evidence in the form of bite mark impressions
that can lead to the identity of the suspect. Photograph bite marks as soon as possible. There is a high likelihood of saliva being present in bite marks, as well.
A person occupying private property has an expectation of privacy
that no one can violate without a search warrant or a valid exception to the warrant requirement. There is no crime scene exception to the Fourth Amendment search warrant requirement.
When the deposition ends,
the attorney will ask if you wish to read the transcribed or typed deposition or waive the review. It is not advisable to waive the review. Although you cannot demand changes, you can point out and notify the state and defense attorneys of errors or misstatements. By reviewing and signing a copy of the deposition, you have an additional opportunity to refresh your memory before testifying at a hearing or trial.
Photographing the crime scene allows
the court and the jury to obtain an accurate understanding of how it looked on the day you responded. Photographing perishable, fragile, and transitory evidence ensures its documentation. Photos and videos provide a visual record that may be stored indefinitely and is readily available when needed.
Once someone makes an objection,
the judge will either sustain or overrule it. Upon hearing an objection, you must stop speaking until the judge rules. If the judge sustains the objection, the witness may not answer the question. If the objection is overruled, the witness must answer the question.
Blocking such communication prevents
them from discussing the incident and coordinating their accounts of what happened. Place them in separate locations, near the crime scene area but in a place that poses no risk of contaminating evidence. Preferably, place them far enough apart so that they cannot hear or see each other. If separate rooms are not available, involved parties can be isolated within one large room by placing them on opposite sides of the room with their backs to each other. Ensure that there is enough distance between them so that they cannot have physical contact with each other. Another possible controlled area is inside a patrol car. However, due to space limitations only place one person in each car. If necessary, another officer can stay with each person to ensure control and safety.
At a first appearance hearing,
there may be discussion regarding bond and special conditions of pretrial release. A bond hearing will determine if the defendant is eligible to bond out—and if so, the amount of the bond— based upon the defendant's criminal history, offense, and flight risk. The court may call upon you to provide insight into the defendant's flight risk and danger to the community. There can be further bond hearings, based on the judge's decision and the availability of resources for the defendant to bond out.
A photographic line-up is the process of showing a photographic array
to a victim or witness, one at a time, to allow for the identification or elimination of suspects. An independent administrator presents a photographic array to the victim or witness simultaneously or sequentially.
If you need to take photographs of an injury
to any external genital organs, have an officer of the same gender as the victim observe and photograph the injuries. Take this photograph in a location that provides privacy to the injured person, following agency policies and procedures. It may be prudent to have a witness present when photographing these types of injuries.
The person you are photographing has
to be a suspect, witness, or victim of a crime to support taking a photograph. A suspect does not have the right to refuse photographing injuries such as scratches from the victim or blood evidence.
Look at issues such as opportunity, ability, and motivation
to identify known or suspected offenders as well as the type of crime committed, how serious it was, and what means and methods the suspect used to commit the crime.
Interview the victim and a witness
to obtain a description of the suspect prior to initiating a show-up.
Other agencies require responding officers
to process scenes or, in serious cases, agencies may call for outside assistance, such as the FDLE's crime scene personnel. The responding officer's supervisor will make the decision to request crime scene or investigative assistance.
Protect the crime scene
until you can photograph and document it.
zone/quadrant search pattern
used for vehicle searches, outdoors, or a large area. Divide the area into four different sections and search each using one of the patterns above.
spiral search pattern
usually used outside by one person. The searcher begins at a certain point and walks in increasingly larger circles to the outermost boundary of the search area.
strip/line search pattern
usually used outside by several people. Divide the search area into lanes. Have one or more people search each lane by moving in both directions, examining all areas.
It is extremely important to keep
victims, complainants, and witnesses separated in a criminal investigation. Do not allow the involved parties to talk to each other.
A show-up occurs
when an officer presents a victim or witness with a single suspect for identification, during the same time as the initial investigation. Show-ups are inherently suggestive, which you can minimize by using proper procedure.
The type of crime committed
will guide the types of evidence that you will search for at a scene.
Separating involved parties
will help each of them focus on what they saw or heard, better maintaining the integrity of their statements.
Use your agency digital camera
with a flash. Avoid using a cell phone camera; the phone may be impounded.
Maintain constant contact
with dispatch when searching for a wanted person, updating your location and status to maintain a high level of officer safety.
Use crime scene sketches during interviews
with witnesses, victims, and suspects to correlate testimony. These sketches are usually admissible in court.
At the scene of an incident,
you must identify all parties involved, including complainants, victims, suspects, and witnesses.
From the preliminary incident report,
you should be able to recreate the initial investigative steps taken at the crime scene.
In responding to a potential crime scene,
you will receive pertinent information regarding the incident from the 911 dispatch (also known as the public safety telecommunicator). This will identify the nature and location of the alleged crime, as well as the complainant's name and relationship to the crime scene location. Dispatch may also inform you if someone is injured.
A crime scene sketch supplements
your field notes and photographs and helps with report writing.
When comparing modus operandi, consider the following:
• Does this appear to be a well-planned incident or one committed impulsively? • If entry to a building or vehicle is involved, was it forcible, or was a key or lock pick used? • Were tools used? If so, what kind of tools? • If this was a crime against a person, what weapon, if any, did the suspect use? What verbal commands did the suspect give? What was the physical description of the suspect? • If theft was involved, what, and how much, property did the suspect take? • What damage was done, and why? Did the suspect do malicious damage to items he or she could not take away? Did the suspect do careless damage to things that got in the way, or purposeful damage to gain access to a door or fence? • What was the motivation for the crime? Profit, revenge, fun, opportunity, hate, etc. • Were any other resources used in the crime? • Were any unexplained items left at the scene? • Were there eyewitness accounts to the crime?
When checking agency records, identify any known aliases of the suspect. Other database sources of information include:
• FCIC/NCIC • FALCON • Local arrest databases • other law enforcement databases • Florida Department of Law Enforcement sexual predator and offender databases • Florida Department of Law Enforcement persons of interest or wanted persons • Florida Department of Corrections database of offenders, parolees, probationers, and recent releases • Regional Organized Crime Information Center (ROCIC) • National Association of Bunco Investigators (NABI) • social networking sites • credit reports • Medical personnel can provide information related to the injuries sustained by a victim.
While driving to the scene, formulate some key questions that will help you assess the situation adequately:
• What is the location? • Are any weapons involved? • Has the complainant indicated the suspect's location? • How many individuals are involved? • How many officers are necessary to safely contain or control the situation? • Do you need additional services? • Do you need special equipment? • Are any special concerns or dangers associated with the call?
When there are injured people at the scene, responding officers have additional responsibilities such as providing first aid. If the victim does not require immediate first aid, ask direct, fundamental questions about how the victim sustained the injury, such as the following:
• Who hit you? • What did the suspect use to hit you? • When were you hit? • Where were you hit? • Where were you standing when being hit? • How were you hit? • Why were you hit?
All arrested individuals go to a first appearance hearing, except under the following circumstances:
• a law enforcement officer, in lieu of a physical arrest, issues a notice to appear in a designated court at a specified date and time, • the magistrate releases the person from custody on his or her own recognizance, or • the individual bonds out from custody.
Share information with your supervisor or investigator to include the following:
• when the incident occurred • how the incident occurred • where the incident occurred • all evidence gathered or specific items that are still the focus of a search • descriptions of all property involved in the incident (obtained from complainants, victims, or witnesses who can identify the property) • names and descriptions of victims, witnesses, and possible suspects • description of the suspect's vehicle, if applicable and if known • special concerns on the scene such as biohazards, a hostile crowd, at-large suspects, and severe injuries • how the scene is being handled and protected • the scene's boundaries and protection measures • plan for the continued investigation of the incident and the search for evidence • identity of the public information officer who is communicating with the media (When dealing with the media or designating an assigned authorized spokesperson on the scene, refer to agency policies and procedures.)
