Criminal Investigation and Investigation White Paper

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Criminal Investigation: The Necessary Steps to Successful Completion

The criminal investigation may seem like a complex process that is highly dependent upon the nature of the crime itself -- but in fact there is a science to criminal investigation that has been developed over the years and distilled into a basic, formulaic procedure that can be applied in virtually every case (Lyman, 2016). Essentially, the necessary steps to completing a successful criminal investigation begin with an examination of the crime scene and conclude with the involvement of a prosecutor regarding whether or not to press charges (based on evidence) against a suspect. This paper will examine these steps in order and show how they follow one upon the other in the system of criminal justice to address the issue of crime and the problem of identifying and prosecuting a perpetrator in the case.

As Birzer and Roberson (2016) show, the main stages of criminal investigation are, in the order of procedure: 1) crime scene search, 2) report writing, 3) interview and interrogation, 4) evidence gathering and assessment, and 5) preparing the case for court. Beginning with the first stage -- searching the crime scene -- the investigator must approach the scene with caution. First responders will have already arrived at the scene and will likely have taken steps to control ingress and egress to the scene. If not, this must be established because the crime scene must be controlled and evidence preserved. A preliminary survey of the scene will be conducted, which will include taking photographs of the scene, walking the perimeter of the scene, examining the exterior of the building structure if necessary to see if evidence is available. Questions related to the crime will be posited and a possible location for physical evidence considered so that the utmost possible information can be obtained. A narrative of the scene is then developed that will tell a story of what happened.

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Speculation is to be avoided entirely and the notes that supply the narrative should be based on physical evidence.

Once the scene is photographed, sketched, and a detailed search of the scene is conducted, evidence that is obtained must be collected and recorded for official records. A chain of evidence must be begun that will provide an accounting of evidence at all times as it passed from one set of hands to the other. Accounting for custody of evidence is a vital aspect of criminal investigation because so much depends upon the evidence itself -- especially the trial process. Any disruption in a chain of evidence can lead to an entire case being dismissed and an investigation being unsuccessfully completed. Evidence plays a major role in report writing as well. The written report of evidence obtained at a scene. The report allows notes to be explained more fully and for any audio to be transcribed. This report is later used "in presenting the case in court" along with sketches of a scene, as it all helps "judges, juries, witnesses, and others to visualize the crime scene" (Becker, Dutelle, 2013, p. 49). The investigative report plays a crucial role in the development of a criminal case and its value and critical importance cannot be understated.

The interview and interrogation process begins following a review of the evidence and the initial writing of the report. The interview process should be "highly structured" and conducted in a controlled environment (Becker, Dutelle, 2013, p. 193). Control of the environment all times is essential -- whether the investigator is at the crime scene or conducting an interrogation. When an environment is not secure, situations can arise that can easily spiral out of control and lead to problems for the investigator later on -- legal problems, in particularly that could invalidate the investigation. Thus, an interview should be clinical.....

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