Preliminary Exam Reviewer 2nd Semester

Preliminary Exam Reviewer (2nd Semester)

• Investigation Defined: The collection of facts aims to identify the suspect, locate the suspect, and provide evidence of guilt.
• Cardinal Points of Investigation: What specific offense was committed, how it was committed, who committed it, where it was committed, when it was committed, and why it was committed.
• Jurisdictional Investigation: The police station with territorial jurisdiction is responsible for the investigation, unless higher authorities direct otherwise.
• Official Police Blotter: An 18" x 12" logbook recording crime incident reports, arrests, and significant events.
• Tools of an Investigator (3 I's): Information, Interrogation, Instrumentation
• Information: Data gathered from persons (including victims), public records, and private records. This knowledge comes from interaction with people and documents.
• Interrogation: Skilled questioning of hostile witnesses and suspects for obtaining information.
• Instrumentation: Scientific examination of evidence using instruments and methods of the physical sciences.
• Phases of Investigation: Gathering all facts to identify the perpetrator (via confession, eyewitness, circumstantial, associate evidence), locate the perpetrator, and prove the guilt of the suspect.
• Standard Methods of Recording Investigative Data: Photographs, crime scene sketches, notes (what is seen and observed), developing and lifting fingerprints, gathering physical evidence, plaster casts, tape recordings, video recordings, written statements of victims/witnesses.
• Scientific Examination of Real Evidence:
• Crime Scene Search: Processing the crime scene methodically to recognize, identify, preserve, and collect evidence. Protecting the scene helps maintain integrity and evidence value.
• Laboratory Examination: Examination of objects and substances at the crime scene; sometimes intentionally/unintentionally moved by suspects.
• Custodial Investigation: Skilled questioning of suspects or hostile witnesses to obtain information related to the crime in custody.
• Custodial Interrogation: When police take a suspect into custody or deprive their freedom to focus on their guilt.
• "Corpus Delicti": The body of the crime; the act of crime and the criminal agency involved.
• Evidence: Means allowed by law to establish or disprove the truth of a fact in legal proceedings. This helps determine the significance of an alleged fact.
• Interview: Questioning someone who has information relevant to an investigation.
• Importance of Interview: Interviews are crucial as individuals relate events in an unbiased way.

Planning, Preparation, and Conducting the Interview

• Planning: Select an environment which gives psychological advantage to the investigator and conduct questioning as soon as possible after the event.
• Preparation: Review the case, information about involved parties, and consider the witnesses' background.
• Time, Place, and Surrounding Circumstances: Interviews take place privately, as soon as possible, in a quiet and private environment, away from interruptions and distractions, and with minimal stimuli to keep parties focused on the interview.
• Opening the Interview: Introduce the investigator and agency, identify the interviewee's type for the best approach, consider legal protections, and explain rights if necessary.
• Body of the Interview: Allow the interviewee to describe their understanding of the events in their words, without interruption. The interviewer stays focused, avoids hearsay, and uses innocent questions to guide the interviewee.
• Questioning: Avoid dominating, stay organized, keep questions chronological and straightforward, avoid leading/misleading questions, and maintain an even tone.
• Closing: Review the purpose of the interview, analyze learned information (5 Ws and 1 H), and ensure the space is available for re-interview if needed.
• Interviewer Credentials: A thorough interview requires detailed preparation and careful consideration of each step to obtain accurate and relevant information.
• Additional Considerations: Full names of professors (Mr. Edwin Reyna Malaay), a request for study, time, date, place of occurrence, specific complaints, suspects, and cases involved.

Separate Police Blotter, Investigation Team, Equipment

• Separate Police Blotter: For sensitive or confidential offenses, like violence against women or children, or cases involving minors in conflict with the law using procedures to protect privacy.
• Investigation Team: Each team must have a leader, an investigator/recorder, a photographer, a custodian of evidence, and an illustrator/artist.
• Equipment: The required equipment for an investigator includes police line, video camera, voice recorder, camera, measuring device, gloves, flashlight, fingerprint kit, evidence bags, evidence tags, evidence bottles, an investigator's checklist, anatomical diagram forms, and evidence checklists.

Goals, Duties, and Follow-up Investigation

• Goals of Criminal Investigation: Determine if a crime occurred, identify the suspect, make a legal arrest, recover stolen property, and prepare a strong case for prosecution.
• Duties of Officer: Determine the nature of the crime, arrest/detain the perpetrator, get eyewitness statements/descriptions, interview everyone involved, record locations, and record all relevant data.
• Follow-up Investigation: Find additional evidence/individuals, modify the crime scheme, speak to other witnesses using the evidence, check with experts, follow up with surveillance, interrogation, and make case/report to the prosecutor.

Investigator Qualifications, Interviewed Person, Interviewer Traits

• Investigator Qualifications: Expertise in observation, rational thinking, extensive legal knowledge (criminal law), understanding of investigative techniques & scientific aids, command of criminal behavior, constructive imagination, and social psychology.
• Person Interviewed Considerations: Ability to observe, remember, and narrate information; note mental or physical constraints affecting their accuracy in providing evidence.
• Interviewer Traits: Skilled psychologist, calm, self-disciplined, courteous, professional, patient, analytical, and persistent. Avoid using intimidation tactics and consider legal rights.

Test your knowledge on the fundamentals of investigation in this comprehensive quiz. Covering key concepts including the definition of investigation, cardinal points, jurisdictional responsibilities, and essential tools and techniques for investigators. Perfect for revision before your exams!