Documenting Victim Injuries in Law Enforcement
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary goal of the lesson on evidence-handling procedures?

  • To educate officers on the importance of PPE in crime scenes
  • To train officers on how to handle drug paraphernalia
  • To teach officers how to search for and recognize evidence (correct)
  • To instruct officers on how to initiate a chain of custody for a crime scene

    • What should officers do when searching and handling evidence at a crime scene?

  • Wait for backup to arrive before searching
  • Search the scene quickly to find evidence
  • Use standard precautions and apply PPE (correct)
  • Touch and move evidence to get a better look

    • What determines the type of evidence to search for at a crime scene?

  • The time of day
  • The location of the crime scene
  • The number of officers present
  • The type of crime committed (correct)

    • What is the purpose of evaluating and documenting leads?

    <p>To prioritize leads for follow-up based on content</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What search pattern is often used indoors?

    <p>Grid search pattern</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do when gathering information about a victim's injuries?

    <p>Note specific information regarding the location, size, and type of injury</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of lead is considered high-priority?

    <p>Latent fingerprint identification and DNA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should be done if a canvass of the area near the crime scene occurred?

    <p>Identify any residences or businesses where law enforcement was unable to contact potential witnesses</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to study the whole scene before searching for evidence?

    <p>To ensure the relationships of the items' positions are considered</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can assist in gathering information about a victim's injuries?

    <p>Review of footage from a body-worn camera</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should officers do when documenting photographs or sketches of a crime scene and evidence on a person?

    <p>Use a systematic approach to document the scene</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why should you instruct the victim to notify law enforcement if bruising intensifies?

    <p>To document the changing appearance of the bruise over time</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why should medical personnel be interviewed?

    <p>To analyze victim injuries</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to use a systematic approach when searching for evidence?

    <p>To ensure a thorough search</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you record when gathering information about a victim's injuries?

    <p>The names of medical personnel who provide services to the victim</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a field contact?

    <p>Any person contacted while on patrol who does not necessarily generate an incident report</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should officers keep in mind when searching for evidence at a crime scene?

    <p>The relationships of the items' positions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why should field contact information be evaluated carefully?

    <p>Because they may have an agenda</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What information should you share with your supervisor or investigator?

    <p>When the incident occurred, how it occurred, and where it occurred</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you include when describing property involved in the incident?

    <p>Descriptions of all property involved in the incident</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should be considered when evaluating field contact information?

    <p>Who the contact is and what their relationship to the victim or suspect may be</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do when dealing with the media or designating an authorized spokesperson on the scene?

    <p>Refer to agency policies and procedures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of following community policing guidelines?

    <p>To maintain relationships with members of the community</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you include when describing the scene?

    <p>The boundaries and protection measures of the scene</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary goal of eyewitness instructions?

    <p>To provide a neutral and unbiased identification process</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to document the entire lineup process?

    <p>To preserve evidence and maintain the integrity of the investigation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should the lineup administrator do during the identification process?

    <p>Remain neutral and not know the suspect's identity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do if the victim or eyewitness makes an identification?

    <p>Document the precise photograph selected</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to prepare for courtroom testimony?

    <p>To ensure you provide accurate and confident testimony</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the goal of the lesson on preparing for court?

    <p>To know how to prepare for and give courtroom testimony</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do if you are unable to identify a suspect during the lineup process?

    <p>Document why you were unable to identify a suspect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to preserve the entire photo array as evidence?

    <p>To maintain the integrity of the investigation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When searching for latent fingerprints at a crime scene, what should you consider first?

    <p>The type of surface that may have been touched</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key factor in determining whether a surface can hold a latent fingerprint?

    <p>The texture of the surface</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary benefit of capturing latent fingerprints in a crime investigation?

    <p>To identify the suspect(s) in the crime</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to preserve latent fingerprints found at a crime scene?

    <p>To prevent damage from environmental factors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do before moving an item that contains a latent fingerprint?

    <p>Photograph the print with a scale or identifier</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of using a RAW+JPEG setting on a camera when photographing a latent fingerprint?

    <p>To ensure the raw image remains unaltered</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do if the object containing the latent fingerprint is difficult to collect or photograph?

    <p>Collect the surface object for the crime lab to process</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a potential benefit of capturing latent fingerprints in a crime investigation?

    <p>Linking the suspect to other crimes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason for conducting a showup immediately after a crime?

    <p>To ensure the witness's safety by detaining the suspect.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When should you use a showup in an investigation?

    <p>In an immediate situation, such as battery or robbery by sudden snatching.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do before conducting a showup?

    <p>Interview all victims or witnesses separately to obtain a description of the suspect.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of using a showup?

    <p>To arrest the suspect immediately after the crime.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When should you take immediate action to arrest a wanted person?

    <p>When the suspect is suspected of committing a violent crime and presents an immediate danger to the public.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of resource can assist in searching for a wanted person?

    <p>All of the above.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do when arriving at a bank reporting a robbery in progress?

    <p>Gather information about the suspect from the witnesses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to use a systematic approach when searching for a suspect?

    <p>To avoid overlooking potential suspects.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do when detaining a potential suspect during a showup?

    <p>Use a vehicle with a dark window tint to transport the witness to the suspect's location.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary benefit of using a showup in an investigation?

    <p>It allows for an immediate arrest and minimizes the risk of danger to the public.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of evidence requires a specific technique or expertise to collect?

    <p>Biological evidence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should be done when discovering human skeletal remains?

    <p>Contact your supervisor and follow agency policies</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be analyzed to determine the type of weapon and direction of the attack?

    <p>Direction of blood spatter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of evidence may include cigarette butts, drinking straws, and soda cans?

    <p>Biological evidence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should be submitted to the lab to compare with the suspect's tool?

    <p>The entire damaged surface</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can provide strong evidence in court?

    <p>Comparing the fracture sites of two or more parts of a broken object</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be detected in objects that made contact with a victim or suspect for a short time?

    <p>Identifiable evidence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should be done with blood evidence?

    <p>Test it for the presence of blood and if it is of human origin</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an important consideration when dealing with biological evidence?

    <p>Follow agency policies and procedures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can serve as identification and evidence in certain cases?

    <p>Teeth</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the defense attorney's motive when firing questions rapidly?

    <p>To confuse the witness into giving inconsistent answers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do when a defense attorney tries to build rapport with you?

    <p>Stay calm and focus on the facts of the case</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why might a defense attorney mispronounce your name or title?

    <p>To imply that you are of little significance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do when a defense attorney mispronounces your name or title?

    <p>Correct them politely</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why might a defense attorney try to lead you into saying you are an expert on a subject?

    <p>To make you say something that can be used against you</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the most important thing to do when answering questions from a defense attorney?

    <p>Pause, stay calm, and speak deliberately</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the defense attorney's goal when asking rapid-fire questions?

    <p>To confuse you into giving inconsistent answers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do when a defense attorney asks you multiple questions at once?

    <p>Ask the attorney to repeat the questions one at a time</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to stay alert when being questioned by a defense attorney?

    <p>To avoid being led astray and giving inconsistent answers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What should you do when a defense attorney tries to make you lose focus?

    <p>Stay calm, focus on the question, and answer deliberately</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of gathering information about a suspect?

    <p>To build a strong case against the suspect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of records require a court order to access?

    <p>Private records of privately owned businesses</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can provide information about a suspect's address and employment history?

    <p>Public records from federal, state, county, and city databases</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why are records pertaining to juvenile arrests and incidents with law enforcement restricted from the public?

    <p>To comply with Florida law</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can provide information about a suspect's criminal history?

    <p>Criminal history and law enforcement reports</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an essential step in gathering information about a suspect?

    <p>Learning as much as possible about the suspect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can assist in locating a suspect?

    <p>Knowing where the suspect has resided</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What dictates which databases are available to law enforcement and how to access them?

    <p>Agency policies and procedures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can provide information about a suspect's whereabouts at the time of reported crimes?

    <p>Incident reports and traffic citations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a benefit of gathering information about a suspect?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Processing a Crime Scene

    • Document victim injuries in detail, including location, size, and type, to create reports and refresh memory for testimony.
    • Review body-worn camera footage to assist in documenting injuries and evidence.
    • Check for consistency between victim information and evidence at the scene.
    • Inform victims to notify law enforcement if bruising intensifies to photograph again as documentation.

    Gathering Information

    • Share information with a supervisor or investigator, including:
      • Incident details (time, location, how it occurred)
      • Evidence gathered or still being searched for
      • Descriptions of property, victims, witnesses, and possible suspects
      • Vehicle information (if applicable)
      • Special concerns on the scene (biohazards, hostile crowd, at-large suspects, severe injuries)
      • Scene protection and boundaries
      • Investigation plan and search for evidence

    Documenting Evidence

    • Document photographs or sketches of a crime scene and evidence on a person, including:
      • Description of the scene and evidence
      • Measurements and scales
      • Photographs or sketches of injuries and evidence

    Searching for Evidence

    • Use a systematic approach or pattern to search for evidence, such as:
      • Grid search (indoor)
      • Spiral search (outdoor)
    • Consider the type of crime committed and the relationships between items at the scene.

    Identifying Latent Fingerprints

    • Identify possible locations of latent fingerprints, considering:
      • Surface types (e.g., rough concrete vs. smooth glass)
      • How the suspect may have approached and moved around the scene
    • Preserve latent prints and document them with a scale or identifier before collection or processing.

    Protecting Latent Fingerprints

    • Protect latent fingerprint locations from environmental damage, such as rain.
    • Photograph the print with a scale or identifier before moving the item or collecting it as evidence.
    • Use a RAW+JPEG setting on a camera to preserve the raw image.

    Evaluating Leads

    • Evaluate and document all leads to determine their value and priority.
    • Consider the content and validity of leads, such as latent fingerprint identification and DNA.
    • Prioritize leads based on their potential value and relevance to the investigation.

    Conducting a Canvass

    • Determine whether a canvass of the area near the crime scene was conducted.
    • Identify residences or businesses where law enforcement was unable to contact potential witnesses.
    • Consider re-canvassing the area for additional information.

    Field Contacts and Confidential Sources

    • Use field contacts, developed through community policing, to assist in completing an investigation.
    • Evaluate field contact information carefully, considering the source's relationship to the victim or suspect.
    • Follow guidelines outlined in community policing when maintaining relationships with sources.

    Eyewitness Instructions

    • Provide eyewitness instructions, including:
      • The perpetrator may or may not be in the lineup.
      • The lineup administrator does not know the suspect's identity.
      • The eyewitness should not feel compelled to make an identification.
      • The investigation will continue with or without an identification.

    Documenting a Lineup

    • Carefully document or record any comments made by the victim or eyewitness during the lineup process.
    • Note any non-verbal communication or action.
    • Document the entire photo array as evidence.
    • Preserve the process and forms used in the lineup in the investigative file.

    Preparing for Court

    • Prepare for courtroom testimony by reviewing case files and documentation.
    • Anticipate cross-examination tactics and prepare responses.
    • Stay calm and focused during testimony to ensure accuracy and confidence.

    Conducting a Crime Scene Investigation

    • Ensure the crime occurred within your jurisdiction before conducting an investigation.
    • Look for sources of information and evidence when securing the crime scene.
    • Determine if the crime scene is life-threatening or poses a threat to officer safety.

    Determining the Crime Scene

    • The size of the crime scene depends on the type of crime, evidence, and location of the evidence.
    • Use personal observations and statements from victims and witnesses to determine the extent of the crime scene.
    • Crime scene perimeters should be larger rather than smaller to keep crowds away from evidence.

    Protecting the Crime Scene

    • Do not allow unauthorized removal or alteration of evidence.
    • Officer safety is at risk when unauthorized people enter the scene.
    • Protect the scene until it can be photographed and documented.

    Identifying People to Question

    • Ask the victim or complainant to name potential witnesses of the incident.
    • Document the names, dates of birth, genders, races, addresses, and telephone numbers of all people involved.
    • Ask vital witnesses to stay at the scene for interviewing.

    Separating Involved People

    • Keep victims, complainants, and witnesses separated to prevent them from coordinating their accounts.
    • Place people in separate locations, far enough apart to prevent physical contact and overhearing.

    Crime Scene Follow-Up Investigations

    • Evaluate and document all leads to determine their value and prioritize them for follow-up.
    • Determine whether officers conducted a canvass of the area near the crime scene.
    • Identify any residences or businesses where law enforcement was unable to contact potential witnesses.

    Field Contacts and Confidential Sources

    • Field contacts are common sources of information, developed through community policing.
    • Evaluate field contact information carefully, considering the contact's relationship to the victim or suspect.
    • Verify a field contact's information using known case facts or public records.

    Differentiating Field Contacts and Confidential Sources

    • A field contact provides information without compensation, whereas a confidential source may receive compensation.
    • A documented confidential informant is a type of confidential source who is recruited and managed by an officer.

    Additional Resources

    • Use agency resources, such as canine, aerial support, SWAT, or a fugitive taskforce, to assist in searching for a wanted person.

    Conducting a Showup

    • A showup is the presentation of a possible suspect to a witness for identification, occurring during or soon after the incident.
    • Use a showup in immediate situations, such as battery or robbery by sudden snatching.
    • Do not move the potential suspect to bring them to the victim or witness.

    Protecting Evidence

    • Different crime scenes require different methods of protecting evidence, depending on factors such as weather conditions and type of crime
    • Outdoor crime scenes with degradable or biological evidence require protection from weather elements like rain, hail, lightning, or wind
    • Indoor crime scenes with temperature-controlled environments may not require the same level of protection

    Securing a Crime Scene

    • Determine how to position authorized personnel, crime scene tape, and natural barriers to secure the scene
    • Instruct people to move behind the crime scene tape, warning them that refusal to do so may result in arrest
    • Consider whether the crime scene is on public or private property, as this affects the legal authority to secure and protect the scene
    • On private property, a person has an expectation of privacy that cannot be violated without a search warrant or valid exception

    Documenting a Crime Scene

    • Designate a point of entry and exit, and assign an officer to maintain a crime scene log
    • Document photographs or sketches of the crime scene and evidence on a person

    Searching for Evidence

    • The type of crime committed determines the types of evidence to search for at a scene
    • Use a systematic approach or pattern, such as a grid or spiral search, to search the scene
    • Consider the relationships between the positions of items and the type of crime scene when searching

    Biological Evidence

    • Biological evidence includes semen, saliva, blood, and DNA
    • Examples of items that may contain saliva and require examination include cigarette butts, drinking straws, and soda and beer cans
    • Blood evidence may include pooled blood, wet or dried stains, or samples collected from the victim or suspect
    • Experts can analyze blood spatter to determine the type of weapon, direction of attack, and relative size of the attacker
    • DNA analysis can detect identifiable evidence in objects that made contact with a victim or suspect for a short time

    Impression Evidence

    • Working edges of tools leave distinct marks on surfaces
    • Collect the entire damaged surface and submit it to the lab to compare with the suspect's tool
    • Comparing the fracture sites of broken, torn, or cut objects can provide strong evidence in court
    • Do not attempt to reconstruct items or process fingerprints from pieces before submitting them

    Locating and Preserving Latent Fingerprints

    • Consider the suspect's approach, movement, and exit at the crime scene to identify potential locations for latent fingerprints
    • Surfaces conducive to latent prints include rough concrete, but not smooth glass surfaces
    • Capture latent prints to help identify suspects and solve crimes, and preserve them to prevent damage or destruction
    • Document and photograph latent prints with a scale or identifier before collecting or moving the item
    • Handle documents found at the crime scene with care to preserve their condition and potential evidence

    Questioned Document Evidence

    • A document is any item containing a mark to convey a message, and may be evidence in a crime
    • Document analysts examine documents for alterations, erasures, handwriting, indentations, ink comparisons, and machine impressions
    • Analysis can determine authorship and authenticity of documents

    Handling Evidence and Money

    • Follow agency policies and procedures for handling evidence and money found at a crime scene
    • Document and collect counterfeit money as evidence, and contact the Secret Service
    • Maintain a chain of custody to document everyone who handled evidence, and any changes made to it

    Follow-Up Investigations

    • Review the preliminary report to identify investigative leads to pursue
    • Compare the list of victims, witnesses, and suspects with case information to ensure accuracy
    • Identify any witnesses who were not available for an initial interview, and evidence that needs further processing
    • Conduct a criminal history check to determine if a suspect has fingerprints on file for comparison

    Analyzing Incident Reports

    • Review records of the initial investigation and establish a case file
    • Identify any witnesses who were not available for an initial interview, and evidence that needs further processing
    • Determine if there is evidence that has not yet been located or analyzed

    Following Leads

    • A lead provides more information on a case that requires further investigation
    • Leads can come from various sources, such as anonymous tips, confidential sources, social media, and forensic analysis
    • Compare the MO of a suspect to identify patterns and connections to the crime scene

    Gathering Information on a Known Suspect

    • Search the Department of Correction's list of released inmates or supervision status of former inmates to compare release dates with developing crime trends
    • Use web-based information on all incarcerated and supervised offenders to gather information on a known suspect

    Search Patterns for Evidence

    • Strip/line search: walk in increasingly larger circles to the outermost boundary of the search area
    • Zone/quadrant search: divide the area into four sections and search each area using one of the patterns above
    • Grid search: search the area in a grid pattern
    • Spiral search pattern: search the area in a spiral pattern

    Types of Physical Evidence

    • Fingerprints
    • Shoe impressions
    • Blood
    • Fibers
    • Hair
    • Tool marks
    • Paint scratches
    • Broken glass
    • Body fluids
    • Controlled substances
    • Electronics equipment and computers
    • Firearms
    • Broken or damaged materials
    • Tire track impressions
    • Documents
    • Bones

    Collecting Latent Prints

    • Wear gloves to avoid contaminating the area with your own fingerprints and DNA
    • Hold a flashlight at an angle to look for obvious signs of a latent print
    • Use a brush to apply powder to the target area
    • Apply the lifting tape to the print and smooth it out to release trapped air
    • Lift the lifting tape containing the developed prints from the surface
    • Place the lifting tape on a fingerprint card
    • Record the date, case number, location, and other information on the back of the card

    Elimination Prints

    • Take fingerprints from anyone who may have been at the crime scene to eliminate their prints from the pool of suspects
    • Allow fingerprint analysts to distinguish between prints belonging to victims, witnesses, or suspects

    Firearms Evidence

    • Follow agency policies and procedures for handling firearms and ammunition evidence
    • Apply PPE to avoid contaminating the evidence with your fingerprints and DNA
    • Review the preliminary report to identify investigative leads to pursue
    • Initiate a follow-up investigation to contact witnesses, victims, and potential suspects, and to review evidence

    Follow-up Investigation

    • Review the records of the initial investigation and establish a case file
    • Compare the list of victims, witnesses, and suspects with the case information to ensure accuracy
    • Review listed evidence and determine if there is evidence that has not yet been located or analyzed
    • Identify witnesses who were not available for an interview at the time of the incident
    • Identify collected evidence that needs further processing or examination
    • Conduct a criminal history check to determine whether the suspect has fingerprints on file for comparison

    Identifying Leads

    • A lead provides more information on a case that requires further investigation
    • Leads can come from anonymous tips, confidential sources, social media, forensic analysis, surveillance footage, and victim and witness statements
    • Gathering information about a suspect includes:
      • Checking public records, criminal history, law enforcement reports, interview reports, driving records, and traffic citations
      • Accessing private records with court orders
      • Accessing public records from government entities and publicly owned utilities

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