NCJ Number
207206
Date Published
October 2004
Length
210 pages
Annotation
Using lessons learned from the interagency, multijurisdictional investigation of the sniper killing-spree that randomly targeted victims in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and Richmond, VA, this is a guide for law enforcement executives and investigators in planning and coordinating a response to a similar ongoing multijurisdictional criminal event.
Abstract
The sniper investigation involved many local, State, and Federal agencies operating across jurisdictions in which the killings occurred in an effort to collect evidence at each crime scene and analyze it quickly while simultaneously mounting and coordinating efforts to capture the killers. During this 23-day period that involved 14 shootings and 10 deaths, it was also necessary to structure and coordinate communications with a fearful public and the snipers. This guide recommends ways to address both technical and practical problems in such a comprehensive and multifaceted law enforcement operation. The tasks and operations discussed include the coordination of investigative resources, facilitating communication within and among agencies, accessing Federal law enforcement resources, releasing information to the community and the media, and turning raw data into useful intelligence. The themes that emerged from interviews with those closest to the investigation were structuring an orderly response to ongoing random criminal events, communication among the players, balancing demands, recognizing the importance of intangible variables in establishing trust among the players and with the public, preparation, and role definition. 7 references and 13 appendixes that address this study's methodology and features of the operations in the various jurisdictions involved in investigating the killings