Elements of Investigation (1960)

[Music] la [Applause] [Music] most men aspiring to a career in enforcement have pictured themselves as the key figure in the investigation of an involved crime in their starring role as a present day Sherlock Holmes they amaze and Astound with brilliant deductions from meager Clues tracking down the criminal with the greatest of ease but the serious student of law enforcement must soon recognize a couple of rather sobering truths many of the cases he will handle as a peace officer will lack the drama of the murder scene he also learns that skill as an investigator is developed in applying the knowledge he acquires in the classroom to the wide variety of assignments he will encounter in the field his training must provide him with enough basic knowledge so that he may go on an assignment and begin or handle a proper investigation with or without assistance and following established legal procedures so it's back to fundamentals During the period of his training the officer may be impressed with the complexity of the work he has chosen in his class on the elements of Investigation there seem to be a million things to learn however these well defined elements these established procedures will in one form or another apply in every case he may be called upon to handle as a peace officer let's consider these so-called elements first evaluating the report how was the complaint received an excited victim may be confused and offer incorrect information he may be misunderstood by by the officer to whom he made his complaint the assigned officer's evaluation begins with the moment he receives the preliminary report and actually continues until the investigation is concluded arriving at the scene of the reported offense the officer must first determine whether a crime has actually been committed he evaluates the statements of the complainant and Witnesses who may be prejudiced biased and emotionally disturbed he may discover that there was no criminal act or that the report was completely fictitious if the officer's evaluation of the facts in indicates a specific prosecutable criminal offense those facts will guide the course of his investigation employing his physical senses in an evaluation of the offense and the persons involved he will proceed with the action which will lead to the solution of the crime he will learn if an immediate arrest is to be made if he must give Chase to the criminal or transmit to his headquarters information concerning a suspect in every case the officer evaluates the initial report statements of witnesses the scene of the offense and with technical assistance physical evidence gathered at the scene the next element of Investigation may be labeled the crime scene having established that a criminal offense has in fact been committed the officer must decide specifically what crime was it tres offing theft or burglary he will determine the answers to the basic questions who what where when why and how and then proceed to gather facts and evidence the officer must protect the scene from possible disturbance from any number of causes by clearing the area and posting barriers and guards where necessary he preserves the evidence from Curious Spectators unthinking Witnesses and victims or persons seeking to conceal a crime or discredit the police the experienced officer knows that the crime scene must be reproduced for the court exactly as it existed [Music] la I [Music] finally the officer May begin his detailed inspection of the crime scene when photographs and sketches are required these are obtained before a search is begun in order that there will be a permanent record of the scene as it existed the method of search will be determined by the nature of the offense the physical circumstances and the availability of Manpower in any case the search should be systematic and thorough now a third element of Investigation evidence evidence of course is essential to a prosecution in any type of investigation it must be properly obtained identified and handled in a search for physical evidence the officers should proceed cautiously with an awareness of the purpose of their search one officer will supervise the operation one officer will handle all evidence as evidence is discovered note should be made of its exact location by whom it was found how it was collected marked and packaged and to whom it was delivered a sketch and a photograph will further identify the evidence in its proper relation to the crime scene throughout his investigation the officer will record the facts essential to the preparation of his written report a court appearance should be considered as the probable result of every investigation his notes will be the record from which the officer will testify marking the evidence provides a means of positively identifying a particular item at a future time if the Mark is distinctive legible and properly applied evidence according to its nature may be packaged in envelopes bottles or boxes then carefully sealed and specifically identified in every case it must be handled with care so that from the moment it is lifted at the scene until it has served its part particular purpose it may be protected from contamination the police agency may have its own facilities for the examination of physical evidence in such case the problems of transportation to the laboratory are reduced for where it is necessary to later ship the evidence to a lab great care must be taken in the wrapping and packaging of the individual items in storing evidence the officer should consider any special requirements for its preservation it should be stored in such a manner that there will be no question as to the chain of possession in his discussion of the elements of Investigation the instructor attempts to build a framework of information on which the student may build in future lectures and courses of a specialized nature detailed information will be offered to fully supplement the basic instruction the investigator May obtain from Witnesses information which is of extreme value in the development of his case and so we come to another of the elemental tasks of the investigator the witness to an offense may be a disinterested third party with no connection to the crime or he may be related to the victim or other persons involved in any case he should be properly identified and approached in a manner which will encourage his cooperation the officer's attitude should be professional and objective statements should be obtained under the most favorable conditions the situation will permit separated from distractions and the influence of other people the witness may offer valuable assistance Witnesses may be located in the routine neighborhood canvas a door-to-door inquiry in the area of the offense [Music] [Applause] [Music] n [Music] a delivery man or news boy May Supply information which will Aid materially in affecting a successful conclusion to the investigation and so in every case in one form or another we have the application of these elements of Investigation evaluating the report protecting and examining the crime scen collecting identifying and preserving evidence and the questioning of witnesses by observing these elements in each case to which he is assigned the officer is better equipped to achieve the purpose the ultimate goal of his investigation the apprehension and successful prosecution of the offender [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music]