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 Unit Objectives: At the
completion of this unit the student will:
- Discuss the
fundamentals of an investigation.
- Define the term
investigation.
- List the objectives of
a criminal investigation.
- Identify and explain the
methods used in criminal investigation.
Unit Overview:
- Fundamentals of an
investigation.
The crime scene must be approached from the beginning, do not neglect the
obvious. Your investigation should be done systematically.
- Investigation Defined.
A detailed inquiry or systematic examination.
- Objectives of a
criminal investigation
A criminal investigation is a lawful search for people and things to
reconstruct the circumstances of an illegal act, apprehend or determine
the guilty party, and aid in the state’s prosecution of the offender.
Steps include:
Deal with emergencies, determine if a crime has been
committed and, if so, what crime; establish crime scene priorities; identify
suspects; apprehend the suspects; gather and preserve evidence; recover
stolen property; and assist in prosecution and conviction of the defendant or
defendants
.
- Methods used in a
criminal investigation
It is important for an investigator to be able
to make reasoned connections between the information and evidence
gathered from the crime scene and witnesses and a possible suspect in
the crime. These connections may be made through either deductive
reasoning or inductive reasoning.
Reading Assignment:
- Use the text to find
Fundamentals of Investigation.
- Connect to "Crime Scene Investigation"
and review available resources in this area."
- Connect to Forensic Science Resources
and review available resources in this area.
Web Assignment:
For possible data regarding the fundamentals
of investigation. Find a web page that gives the beginning student a guide to
investigations.
Writing Assignment:
1.
What are the steps of a preliminary investigation of
a major crime scene?
2.
Define investigation in your own words.
3.
Define Corpus Delicti. What
are the corpus delicti of burglary and robbery.
4.
Where should the interrogation of a suspect take
place? Why?
5.
Describe a formal lineup and several types of crimes
the suspect could be involved in. Do attorneys attend lineups?
6.
What is the objective a criminal
investigation?
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