NCJ Number
118385
Date Published
1987
Length
50 pages
Annotation
These articles describe how to conduct security investigations, with emphasis on legal issues, hypnosis, observation skills, ink analysis, eyewitness statements, private investigators, tape-recorded evidence, surveillance, interview techniques, and investigative interchange.
Abstract
Legal pitfalls to avoid in conducting investigations include entrapment, invasion of privacy, eavesdropping, illegal search and seizure, and self-incrimination. Merely because a procedure can be used legally does not mean it should be used. Other factors, particularly employee relations, should weigh heavily when management decides what security procedures to employ. Investigative techniques must be prompted by justifiable reasons, result in significant evidence, be reasonable to the average person, and constitute a fair balance between management and employee rights. Forensic hypnosis can be a valuable tool in security investigations and criminal proceedings, although it should be approached cautiously because of its dangers, possible abuses, and admissibility. Ink analysis may be necessary in certain investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has devised a systematic approach to ink identification and dating. Eyewitness statements and testimony will always be a focal point of investigative and judicial processes. However, investigative experience, documented cases, and studies indicate a need to make allowances for possible inaccurate eyewitness information. Private investigators can provide a valuable service to security managers, but they must be controlled and directed for cost-effective results. Tape-recorded evidence may be useful if it meets guidelines for the admissibility of recorded evidence. The theory of investigative interchange assumes that when a crime is committed, the criminal either takes something away or leaves something behind. Consideration is given to surveillance procedures, interviewing techniques, information collection, polygraphs, and effective interaction with prosecuting attorneys. 41 references.