Mid Term Review - 2024 PDF

First Officer at Scene - Responsibilities Render assistance to preserve life Ensure own safety & the safety of others Arrest offender if found at scene Preserve and protect the scene Isolate any witnesses Notify Communications Request a Sergeant (example: fatal MVC, sudden deaths, robberies...

First Officer at Scene - Responsibilities Render assistance to preserve life Ensure own safety & the safety of others Arrest offender if found at scene Preserve and protect the scene Isolate any witnesses Notify Communications Request a Sergeant (example: fatal MVC, sudden deaths, robberies & major crimes)  First Officer’s Observations  Observations made and noted by the first officer(s) can play a crucial role in the examination of the scene especially if evidence is transient or altered. Doors open/closed – secured/unlocked Windows open/closed – forced/attempt Lights on/off, T.V/stereo on/off Odours, temperature of room Signs of activity/struggle etc.. Crime Scene Management Good police work involves a systematic plan. Planning, controlling, directing and organizing.  The Crime Scene - considerations What is the crime scene? How would you protect this crime scene? What evidence is present?  Protecting Crime Scenes On route to a crime scene plan what you are going do. On arrival control the crime scene. Rule of thumb - anything can be potential evidence and should be treated as such. Beware you or other officers could be introducing trace evidence.  Protecting Crime Scenes Secure the immediate scene and the outer scene with other police officers, rope, tape etc. Take names of individuals arriving or leaving. A crime scene entrance officer should be assigned.  Don’t change or remove evidence Unloading, moving a firearm…knife Using a toilet Switching T.V. station or radio Untying the rope, cable Putting something back in it’s original spot  Don’t overlook or destroy evidence Using telephone Sitting on chairs Opening windows due to heat/ smell  Police Services Act Police are obligated to investigate crime, to take statements. Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms there is no obligation for an accused to provide a statement to the police. There is no obligation for witnesses to provide statements.  Common Law Seizure of Evidence From common law or traditional practices. On arrest a police officer may search the accused for: 1. Evidence(related to the offence or other offence). 2. Weapons. 3. Implements with may assist in escape.  Criminal Code of Canada Section 489(2) Every peace officer and every public officer who has been appointed to administer or enforce any federal or provincial law… may without warrant seize anything that the officer believes on reasonable grounds 1. Has been obtained by commission of an offence, 2. Has been used in the commission of any offence, 3. Will afford evidence in respect of an offence against this or any other Act of Parliament.  Identification of Criminals Act Act allows the police to take the fingerprints, photograph and other measurements of a person charged with an indictable offence prior to their trial. Link accused to criminal record. Allows for accused’s fingerprints to be compared to crime scene latent fingerprints.  Coroner’s Act of Ontario A sudden death investigation falls under the Coroner’s Act authorities. The Coroner is in charge of all sudden death investigations. Police are appointed as Coroner’s Constable. Under a Coroner’s Act a Coroner’s Constable may seize any evidence related to the death (body).  Volunteering Evidence A suspect or accused when requested from a police officer may volunteer evidence provided: Informed consent. Extra Judicial Measure such as a Search Warrant should always be considered.  Criminal Code Warrant Police Officer may obtain a warrant to seize evidence. The warrant information must be specific as to what evidence is to be seized. Firearm Identification Handguns and rifles have spiral groves in the barrels or bore. These grooves are unique to the weapon and are transferred to the spent bullet allowing for identification of the weapon. Bullet Identification The striation marks located on a spent bullet can be identified to a specific handgun or rifle. Shotguns do not have grooves in the  Cartridge Cases The remaining cartridge shell is also impressed with markings by its contact with metal surfaces of the weapons loading, firing and ejection mechanisms. These markings can be reproduced in test fired cartridges providing distinctive points of comparison and associating a recovered spent shell to a weapon.  Fingerprint Identification Identification is established by the continuous agreement of ridge characteristics, in sequence, with no unexplainable dissimilarities.  What do you do? Purpose of proper evidence collection is to protect the evidence from being contaminated. Two important points in evidence collection 1. proper packaging to maximize integrity. 2. evidence continuity.  Evidence Continuity Continuity of Exhibits Establishing a continuous unbroken documented chain of custody from the discovery of an exhibit to its tendering in court, and the final disposition of the item.  Evidence Collection and Packaging The manner of collecting and preserving physical evidence at a crime scene is determined by the nature of the evidence.  Collecting Blood Take comparison swab from adjacent area. Place evidence information directly on swab container with an indelible marker. Sample of tap water should be taken. Blood on clothing - collect the entire object. Clothing should be air dried and not placed in an airtight container Whole blood must be refrigerated or heparin used. Collecting Paint Paper Druggist fold Use four fold paper. Secure top of paper under paint sample. Using sharp utility knife, scrape paint into folded sheet of paper. Initial, label and seal sheet in envelope. *can also use glass or plastic containers Scale of Probabilities Certainty (100%) Probable (50% to 99%) Possible (1% to 49%) Amido Black blood enhancement  Identification Process Never reattach, join or overlay impressions onto the comparison object. Always compare a negative impression to a negative Impression or a Positive impressions to a positive Impression. Calipers or dividers are used for measurements. Examine the class characteristics. Do the class characteristics compare? Examine the accidental characteristics Do the accidental characteristics align? Are the accidental characteristics unique.