CRH320 - CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATIONS - ASSIGNMENT ONE

CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATIONS
ASSIGNMENT ONE
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Crime Scene Investigations
Strayer University
Felicia McCaw
Professor Tamara Mangum
CRJ320
Online Winter 2017
January 22, 2017

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As in all vehicles of investigations the venturing in the arena of crime and its prevalency of malevolence, danger and threat becomes the most unique journey of discovery. Crimes as defined is the deflection and eroding of social norms and legalistic norms in the facilitating of acts that are flagrantly against society and all.
The complexities of crime spiral from the lowest level to the highest level that is comparative to the simple and the most sophisticated complicated of acts. These acts are planned, deliberate with deliberate intent immersed in each premeditated act. Looking at crime from a psychological bent it is obvious and apparent that the mental mindsets are not affective to a level of mental or psychological disorder. Basically as compelled analytical thought, evaluation and prevalent summation these acts are done due to deliberate will to usurp the nature of societal order and willful intent to destroy its complex substructural levels of difficulty.

Therefore, since a crime is a deliberate attempt to cause mayhem it also stands that it is a violation against the established legal system that has been enacted to prevent harm to citizens and country. Consequently, since the willful abuse of the laws or public right it further supports the need for criminal investigation to understand these criminal acts as well to catch a “fleeing bird” who has done the deed and prays for continuous “elusiveness”.

As such the roles or acts of crimes have been established as an act that supersede the statute or ordinance in straight rebellion and hate of order and correctness. Being thus an act must be correlated and acknowledged as an offense and being seen as a chargeable offense. As stipulated crimes fall into two established categories, felonies and misdemeanors, and depend on the penalized codes for dealing with behavior that is defined as criminal establishment with allocation of punishment according to the severity of the act. Also, the true definition becomes

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evident when determination reveals whether they are violations of municipal county, state or the federal level.

As a criminal investigator the first step is understanding the elements of crimes, the true criminal intent and the modus operandi (MO). During the process of investigation, these requirements help fulfill the goals of criminal investigations with knowledge that assumptions or assertions are not certainties of a true factual actuality. Suspects that don’t have a MO should never be discarded or looked past because of assumptions that the thought does not fit the pattern.

Going further it is indeed the intent to clarify the scene and the acts of wrong portrayed by the scene. Therefore, the first step is the preliminary investigation and its entitlement that includes the following guidelines to conduct and start the investigation. During the preliminary investigation, the first step is to detail the scene, secure the scene with photographic imagery, e.g., If outside – GPS detail close-up – 100%, erection of measured tape off, barrier to restrict traffic, deal with any emergencies, two or three at most top forensic officers on and in site, removal of samples with notation of all physical evidence or trace evidence found. Next, identify witness(s) or reporter of body found or trauma scene with no locality of body, obtain permission to use and look for leads.

After the compilation of notes and substantial analysis of the scene the reflective information found should assist in the following of leads to support presentation for apprehension of suspect. The criminal investigator should first establish the truth and have supportive that inductive reason allowed the parallel of samples, details of scene and position of body or lack to establish a possible clue to who is the suspect by skeletal details or by expansive if a record of another party was found at the locality.

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The reason for the comparison of trace evidence to the scene and suspect is to provide and retain an established base to support additional queries and questioning. Without a parallel reason the act of questioning would be viewed as unfounded and an act of harassment and thereby cause a dismissal of evidence due to none clarification and lack of authencity.

In support of the above mention criteria two major crimes that entail differences in reporting by comparison and contrast are rape and homicide. Rape is itself a controversial investigation because it deals with or has consequence that hinder the conjunctive evidence found and that is disbelief by the police. This unfortunate circumstance cause an unmitigated reduction in reports as well as the lack of action taken to remedy the situation with proper punishment and curtailment. Further the view of women and rape has connotation of prejudicial thought which are “that she asked for it”. The impossibility to stay objective is unfortunately prevalent and the sympathy is rendered to the attacker and not the victimized. Not only are the police non-objective but society as a whole have underlayment of hostility that view the victim as her own worst enemy and the cause of her dismal situation.

If this situation continues the steadfast increase of rape will escalate with no justification or ability to hinder because of skepticism, doubt and lack of concern. Further the level of skepticism lays heavily on a study done by Schwartz and Leggett (1999) that reflects the women who were raped claimed blame for their treatment. As seen by an observer or examiner conclusions to be made would be that indeed doubt would increasingly rise and be a subsequent thought or question to the act of validity.

Consequently, the process in reporting an act of rape begins with a questionnaire, pictures of bruises, marks, contusions, bite marks or others scarring. The level of investigation would be


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paramount to evaluating every point of injury reflecting sedimentary evidence, e.g., semen, area of dirt for analysis, teeth – DNA check for possible contact with tissue for possible contact with assaulter, nails, pubic hair and inner vaginal walls, anus, urine, mouth, throat, and esophagus. The element of discovery whether said victim is alive or deceased begins with an objective, cold, analytical approach to solve the crime.

In comparison, a homicide is also reflective of taking sedimentary evidence and using it to find the cause of death and use conclusionary analysis to gather information to try to find the perpetrator of the crime. In contrast, both crimes are different and pertains and requires a different approach to detailing with inner analysis of the victim being done but with a homicide this could lead to the removal of organs to determine if a weapon and what type was used in penetration for the cause of death or if simultaneous injuries was a leading factor in death in correlation to penetration marks or wounds. Further these wounds of entry can also make the analysis of a rape victim expand and cause reflective analyzation as to whether victim’s injuries caused death and then has the capacity to move the act of rape to a homicide. Both acts are intertwined, intricate and requires skill to think, analyze, process and parlay details of a factual nature to determine if the probable perpetrator can be or if a chance exist to apprehend.

These aspects that help evolve this process of and make an effective criminal investigator include the ability to be first intelligent which constitute the act of being objective, logical, tenacious with inductive and conductive reasoning. The second characteristic involves the range of psychological ability to withstand emotionally, mentally retain distance, be self-directed, intuitive, self-disciplined and willing to persevere and hold. Thirdly, physically the need for fitness is important, with good vision, hearing and scent to withstand the hours involved in investigation and interaction with victims, witnesses or suspects.

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Based upon intellectual value the criminal investigator must be absorptive with the ability to be able to learn the technical and non-technical aspects involved using trajectory equipment and other defining equipment. Further keeping an open mind allows creative ventures to be expanded and cause new ways to evolve the investigative process. Next, comes the psychological view that pertains to stability of mentality, retainership of mental acuity throughout the rigor of criminal investigation that can be affective to a person both mentally, physically and psychologically. Lastly, a fit physicality allows the defuse of trauma and prevention of injuries, with protection of vison, hearing and scent when participating in investigations.

Consequently, the nature of each criminal investigation requires the call for “mum” during the process and conducting of the investigation. As such, the amount of information relayed to the media is carefully filtered to them to prevent the tipping off a suspect or the covering of trails or avenues to pursue leads. Further this prevents the endangering of the public, witnesses and workers at the crime scene. In conclusion, the effective protection of all is considered with regards to privacy to fulfill a good, tight, criminal investigation.





References
Orthmann, C. M., & Hess, K. M. (2013). Criminal investigation. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.
Schwartz, M. D. (2012). Rape Investigation Roadblocks: Two Studies. Sexual Assault Report, 16(1), 1-12
http://www.in.com/new/current-affairs/38-wounds-bite-marks-on-kerala-rape-victims-body-says-autopsy-55874331-in-1.html
Barrett, E. C., & Hamilton-Giachritsis, C. (2013). The Victim as a Means to an End: Detective Decision Making in a Simulated Investigation of Attempted Rape. Journal Of Investigative Psychology & Offender Profiling, 10(2), 200-218. doi:10.1002/jip.1385
Mercadal, T. (2016). Moral Policing. Moral Policing -- Research Starters Sociology, 1-5.
Greene, J. (2016). Criminal Investigation. Salem Press Encyclopedia,
McGarry, J. (2011). Named, Shamed, and Defamed by the Police. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 5(3), 219-227. doi:10.1093/police/par032
Shearing, C., & Marks, M. (2011). Being a New Police in the Liquid 21st Century, Policing: A Journal Of Policy & Practice, 5(3), 210-218. Doi:10. 1093/police/par035
COROIU, V. (2014). METHODOLOGY INVESTIGATION OF HOMICIDE CRIME. Romanian Journal of Forensic Science, 15(5), 1755-1758.




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