NCJ Number
225039
Date Published
1992
Length
901 pages
Annotation
The aim of this book is to present the fundamentals of criminal investigation and highlight their applications in some of the more important felonies, and is intended to help the general reader understand how detective work should be performed and to demystify the investigative process.
Abstract
Divided into seven parts, Part A begins by providing the foundation for a general understanding of investigative practice. Two principal sources of information: physical evidence and people are examined in Part B, focusing on what information might be obtained and why it can be useful. It begins with an explanation of the basic concepts of criminalistics and concludes with a discussion on the kinds of information that can be obtained about the perpetrator from the victim, witnesses, and informants, and from psychological profiling. Part C covers methods detectives employ to elicit facts from people and gather information from records. Procedures described in Parts C and D are ‘reactive’, concerned with obtaining information about a crime after it has been reported. Part D concludes with a brief discussion on a ‘proactive’ measure. When a crime pattern analysis pinpoints where an investigation should be concentrated, any action taken as a result would be considered proactive. Part E focuses on managing investigations and presenting evidence. It discusses traditional and recent ideas concerning the management of criminal investigations, provides information useful to supervisors for internal control over investigative practice, suggests measures for increasing the productivity of personnel, discusses the importance of the computer in contemporary law enforcement, and the rules of evidence. Part F places emphasis on investigative activities that point to likely suspects, to the honing of any list developed, and to the search for additional evidence. The text concludes with a focus on crimes against property, specifically burglary and arson which lends themselves to an exploration of the role of motive in criminal investigation. Figures, appendixes 1-5 and index