What is crime detection
Crime detection encompasses making discoveries of criminal evidence, identifying the same as well as analysing such evidence with the aim of enforcing the law. In most jurisdictions, it is the work of the police to carry out crime detection using various procedures and in the end present concrete evidence that surpasses any reasonable doubt that the suspected criminal is the real perpetrator of the crime at hand. A variety of methods are applied by the police in accomplishing this role and these depend on the nature of the particular crime in addition to the procedures that are acceptable under the jurisdiction. All in all, investigations have to be done in a careful, procedural and objective manner in order to come up with concrete evidence that will see justice administered in the course of law.
The role of the police in crime investigation is very central since the police often come in reactively or proactively. Reactively, police come in to help victims as a response to a call by the public. In such a case, the role of the public in investigating the case cannot be ignored since they can be wealthy in information if they were eye witnesses. Even though the reactive approach can be very effective in identifying crime, it is a bit inefficient as the police are hardly likely to come across the real crime taking place. In proactive crime investigation, the police have to do surveillance and apply special intelligence in order to unearth likely crime. No matter which approach is taken, it is important to appreciate that crime detection procedures have to be followed. There are a variety of crime detection methods that have been applied for many years while others are a bit modern. These range from the traditional surveillance techniques, interrogation, and use of records to the more modern scientific methods including analysis of DNA, firearms, toxicological tests among others.
Police procedures in crime detection
In general, police are involved mainly in making arrest of persons that are suspected to have committed a crime or intending to commit one and carrying out investigations to ascertain the same of which may involve performing searches and inspections. There is no single standard of detecting crime since differences in circumstances surrounding different crimes determine the approach to be taken. However, some obvious basis must be applied including investigation, arrest as well as searches where necessary. Aspects of police investigation into a crime are discussed broadly below.
Police investigations
After a crime has been committed or suspicion of a likely crime, the police usually launch investigations. Police investigation is more of an enquiry process that unearths the circumstances surrounding a crime. Investigations are supposed to dig deep into the truth of the allegation and present evidence of a committed or to be committed crime. As part of the investigations, the police may require to interview persons who are linked either directly or indirectly to the crime. Such persons include the victims, suspected perpetrators and the witnesses. In addition, collection of physical evidence and recording the same appropriately are also essential activities to be accomplished by the police. Police response once the crime has been reported to them though rapid depends on the nature of the crime. Nevertheless, the first thing usually forms entry to investigations. It is important to realize that thorough investigations make it possible for the police to discover the root of a crime which opens up a multitude of leads that may be necessary in making the case watertight. It is important to realize that the police have the right to do investigation which may involve approaching people as well as questioning them. In some instances, the police may be forced to detain an individual so that they can investigate them particularly if they reasonably suspect the involvement of the person in the crime at hand. The police must in this case be sure not to detain the person for longer than necessary otherwise they will be compromising in law administration.
Crime detection involves interrogation which is basically the act of getting additional information from any one who may be having well enough knowledge regarding the crime at hand. This is where the witnesses, victims and suspects of the crime are brought on board to provide any information. The police are supposed to conduct interrogations on the victim and the witnesses mainly asking them questions that would lead to identification of the crime perpetrator. It is important that the police look for eyewitnesses for these are able to furnish them with more factual information. Interrogation is specially done on a suspect more so when it is hard to obtain the needed information. This calls for the police to be persistent on the victim but obviously within legal limits.
As part of investigations, the victim can be questioned on a variety of issues which are very vital in gathering concrete information to warrant an arrest and to convict a criminal. It is therefore the responsibility of the police to ensure that the victim is treated with dignity and questioned as efficiently as possible to get the most of information as evidence in a crime. A police statement is very effective as it gives the victim a chance to explain the events surrounding the crime as guided by the questions asked. This interview with the victim should be conducted well to ensure that the victim gives as much information as possible for investigations to be comprehensive. The police statement is particularly helpful since it can help in providing details regarding the perpetrator of the crime, the witnesses thereof as well as the general description of the crime scene. The importance of the victim in crime detection calls for the police to act courteously, fairly and respectfully to the victim without any form of discrimination for there to be fruitful evidence. The Commonwealth Secretariat has for instance set guidelines for this whereby the police as law enforcement agents are required to fully identify themselves before the victim in addition to letting the victim make any changes in their statement as heshe may deem necessary.
It has been established that crude extraction of information from victims, witnesses or suspects is not lawful and appeasing to many as was being done in olden days before the 1829 Metropolitan Police Act in Great Britain. Currently, most jurisdictions have laws governing investigations into crime making the retrieval of information from physical evidence or people very productive. In investigating crime, the police can do surveillance more so in cases of suspected upcoming criminal activity. The police are kept alert and they keep observing the location likely to be affected by the crime. In surveillance process, the police must ensure the legality of the process by using techniques that will provide concrete evidence on the crime. Such techniques would include use of binoculars or electronic devices that will ensure most accurate surveillance that is able to table concrete evidence before a court of law. To make the evidence acceptable before the court, the police should make sure that they have a court order otherwise it would be termed as invasion of privacy.
Persons who are under police investigation are supposed to be cooperative with the police as much as possible to make the whole process easy. It is the role of the police to let these persons realise that once they have recorded a statement, they are also required to sign the same for it to be valid, failure to which may call for their own arrest as this amounts to a crime. It is also the responsibility of the police to ensure that the persons involved in the crime, may it be the victim or the suspect, are constantly updated on the stage in which the investigations have reached.
The nature of the crime is a determinant on the level of involvement and the roles that the police would take up in the crime detection procedure. Some of the crimes need special expertise to help in unearthing details of the crime. In this day and age where criminals easily commit crime without leaving the usual physical evidence such as fingerprints, understanding of the DNA as a concrete evidence is crucial to detection of crime. Rarely do DNA profiling miss to identify a criminal positively if the evidence was preserved and processed correctly. It lies with the police, the responsibility of ensuring that such evidence is preserved for the right expertise to utilise it correctly. Even without necessarily having advanced know-how on such techniques as DNA typing, the police should be knowledgeable enough on the ways of preserving such evidence with the recognition that such a sophisticated technique has proved invaluable in crime detection. It has been identified that for a crime scene to provide the most accurate and reliable evidence, contamination should be avoided and should be among the first principles in obtaining physical evidence in crime scene investigations. Failure to observe such a principle in crime detection is enough to interfere with evidence and to make a case loose weight.
In essence, the police should always consider involving certain experts depending on the crime nature and the circumstances under which the crime has occurred. Having people who are well versed with the circumstances surrounding a crime under investigation increases the chances of digging up the truth since those against the investigations such as the suspect finds it hard to present false evidence. Such has been the case with rape cases where DNA evidence has been used to acquit some and convict others positively. If competent experts are involved, it is likely that the exact perpetrator is identified and the higher the likelihood of convicting the suspect.
When carrying out investigations, the time taken by the police to respond to the crime is also a great determinant on how well the criminal is to be apprehended. This is so because the criminal realizes that the more heshe succeeds in eradicating any evidence, the more likely that he will escape scot-free. If the police take too long to respond to a crime, the victims may end up discouraged and uncooperative since late entry into investigations often takes more time and effort in identifying and apprehending a criminal. Late response requires that the victim almost always accompany the police during investigations and this may be tiring to the victim who dismisses the efforts. On the other hand, ability of the police to collect as much evidence as possible through the various investigative strategies, the more likely is the police to win in not only positively identifying the crimes perpetrator but also in apprehending him. Important to remember is that success of crime detection is very dependent on successive investigative procedures that are able to present evidence that is beyond any reasonable doubt before a court of law. Any evidence less than this standard is insufficient in apprehending a criminal and mainly indicates a failure on the side of the police in following crime detection procedures.
For investigations to be effective no matter how sophisticated and rigorous they may be, it is crucial that the police work within the laws that govern such. These laws differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction with most of them aiming at making sure that there is justice on both sides of the case i.e. justice to the victim as well as the suspect. These two should not feel threatened by providing evidence and they should be made to understand that the police have been mandated to carry out investigations which may involve search on property and inspection of the same among other forms of investigation. In any case, the suspect should understand that police will never carry out any investigation unless they have reasonable suspicion to do so. Furthermore, police officers are obliged to identify themselves fully in case of reactive investigations.
Tactic is very essential in making sure that as complete evidence as possible is collected. Among the most successful tactics of carrying out investigations is commencing the investigations with suddenness such that the suspects are not given time to interfere with evidence. Some of the things to consider when performing sudden investigations include time of undertaking investigations, place and the behaviour to be adopted when carrying out the investigations among other factors. Applying such techniques helps the police to have higher chances of succeeding. Ahtirskaya for instance identified that of all convicted computer crimes, 71 percent admitted being surprised by how sudden the investigations were carried out as far as time and place were concerned. To accomplish suddenness of time, the police may opt to delay investigations up to a time when the suspect least expected it and as such, the suspect is caught off guard.
With proper and thorough investigations, police are well positioned to identify who is a suspect in a particular crime as well as have enough reasons to make an arrest. It is in the process of investigations that performing searches as well as exploratory searches on the suspect and hisher property may be of need. On the other hand, these procedures may be rendered futile if the investigative procedure was leaking in any way since the suspected crime perpetrator may use the weakness to hisher defense.
Search and inspection
As part of police crime detection, a search may be required or at the same time, the police may need to inspect the suspects property as well as the suspect himself. Under the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000 of the Queensland Consolidated Acts for instance, the police are empowered to make searches and inspections on suspected persons and property even without warrant as a means of obtaining evidence to be presented in a court of law. While making searches on persons, the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000 empowers the police to stop a suspect and detain him after which a search may be made on the individual and anything that the person may be possessing in order to find out whether the person possesses any relevant thing that is connected to the crime that the person is being suspected of. While performing such a search, the police may obtain and seize things that may act as evidence that the person committed the offence the items were intended to be for carrying out an offence against someone else or the individual himself. Other than searching an individual, police are also empowered to search vehicles and public property.
Use of the most accurate methods to perform searches can guarantee the police the ability to get the precise evidence to be presented in a court of law. Detection dogs have for instance been helpful in detecting drugs. Additionally, the effectiveness of an investigation will also depend on the ability of the police to interfere with coordination between suspected individuals. As such, it is advisable that the police arrest everyone who is suspected to be involved in a crime virtually at the same time and make simultaneous searches to all the suspects otherwise the investigations may be interfered with if coordination between suspects is left to continue. Perhaps the conduct of inspection is among the trickiest of the crime detection procedures as it requires more patience. Of course, inspection of property may not require special expertise and patience but when inspecting a suspects conduct with the aim of linking the same with a certain crime, then the procedure proves tricky. One way of accomplishing a successful inspection on a suspect is by intentionally delaying investigations to allow the suspect to go back to his normal conduct and then going back into the investigation with suddenness such that the suspect is caught unaware. Such a tactic can be very successful in obtaining concrete evidence to convict someone.
Often, redoing searches and inspections can be very fruitful in obtaining solid evidence enough to prove a suspect guilty. For instance, Ahtirskaya says that among the many computer crimes investigated, most of the repeated searches end up effective as criminals have a tendency of settling down once the initial search has been carried out and then go back to return anything that they had taken as a means of clearing the evidence and it is at this point that the second search comes in and convicts the individuals. In fact of the convicted suspects of computer crime, indicates that 82 percent were convicted on this basis.
Arrest
In some jurisdictions such as the New South Wales, police are given powers to arrest suspected criminals for further investigations. It is however appreciated that for such arrests to be made, the police must have concrete reasons regarding the decision to arrest a suspect. Arrest is a means of law enforcement where an individual is lawfully placed under detention. For police to make an arrest, they must adequately justify the arrest. In most cases, arrests are made under warrant issued by a judge or a magistrate as is common in cases involving unanswered bail. In case an arrest is made without a warrant, detention usually follows to allow for questioning. Under the UK law, a police may arrest a person without first issuing a warrant if he comes across someone in the act of committing a crime that requires arrest mainly from the officers own discretion of what amounts to an arrestable offence. Just enough reason that a person is about to or has committed an arrestable offence is substantial to lead to an arrest without a warrant. It should be clear that being searched by the police or being under detention for questioning purposes does not necessarily imply that one is under arrest. This is because detention is mainly done for questioning purposes and lasts for the least time possible whereas an arrest is mainly done after the police have reasonable cause for suspicion mainly out of investigation that the individual has been involved in the crime. The arrested person is also supposed to be taken into a police station for custody.
Since an arrest is made upon reasonable cause for suspicion that the individual intended to commit a crime or is the one who committed the crime, it forms a good basis for police investigations. This implies that the more solid the reason for arrest, the more likely that the case will go through. Often, arrest may be executed by way of touching or else by words such as declaring that the person is under arrest of which the individual is supposed to consent. An arrest should always be carried out with a lot of sensitivity for the conduct during this period may interfere or preserve any available evidence necessary for the case. This implies that force should be used only if necessary and this should be as minimal as possible. Of course reasonable force should be used as the arrest may demand mainly due to the amount of resistance encountered.
The police should also consider the age of the person whom they are arresting in order to be positioned to take the correct precautions for action. Arresting children for instance may require that the childs parent or guardian is notified as soon as possible among other considerations.
After arresting a suspect, the person is kept in custody up to the time when the person is summoned into a court of law. Once the person is in custody, it becomes easier to launch investigations and at the same time restore peace and order in the community affected by the crime. This is among the reasons why police make searches and inspections on individuals and property that they reasonably deem as threats to peace and lawfulness.
Effects of procedures on courts decision
It is important to note the procedures followed by police in crime detection are determinant on the judgment decision by the court and also acts as leads to any judgment. This is to imply that thoroughness of the procedures and action within the law will see the court make correct judgment while any compromise in these procedures is likely to lead to incorrect judgment. As stated earlier, the promptness of investigations from the time the crime takes place is very effectual in realizing substantial evidence that is worth presented in a court of law. This is due to the fact that evidence is usually obtained unhampered and the victim and the witnesses are more willing to offer support in the search for evidence. Failing to have the victim cooperating fully with the police detectives as a result of delays in investigation has been shown to lead to decreased successful detections.
The validity of the police crime detection procedures is influential on the decisions made by the court regarding a particular crime. For instance, failure to involve experts in the investigations may end up providing insufficient and misleading evidence that may lead to wrong judgment. If for example the police only depend on testimonial evidence in a rape case and never concentrate on physical evidence such as DNA analysis of the samples collected, then the wrong person may end up being convicted. People have time and again accused others of sexually molesting them but upon close examination such as DNA analysis or toxicological analysis have proved negative. At the same time, such sophisticated and modern techniques of investigations have resulted into right convictions of which would have escaped unnoticed. It is unfortunate that most police departments in most jurisdictions are not mandated to carry such specialized investigations or have no means of doing the same.
The manner in which the police perform searches, inspections and arrests are also vital in validating the crime and the case thereof. In every jurisdiction, there are restrictions within which the police must act as they accomplish their crime detection responsibilities. In England as well as Wales for example, the police have to make sure that they do not carry any of the procedures from a discriminatory point of view. This therefore means that if the police were to arrest or search an individual on the basis of race or religion, then the individual is likely to defend himherself successfully in a court of law. On the other hand, the police officer responsible is likely to face charges for this amount to crime. Even though the police in these two jurisdictions are allowed to make searches on persons and individuals without warrant, ethics have to be adhered to otherwise the credibility of the investigations is compromised with. Never are the police allowed to demand persons to take off their clothing unless it is the outer clothing such as a coat.
Detailed police investigations have always been found to lead to correct judgment once the evidence is presented in court. It is the duty of the police to ensure that comprehensive evidence concerning a case is collected and conserved well otherwise wrong judgments are bound to occur. Other than having statements recorded and signed by any party involved in the crime, it is necessary that the police reinforce the evidence by say taking samples from the crime scene which include photographing the scene, taking fingerprints as soon as possible before such delicate evidence is interfered with. Interfering with delicate evidence such as fingerprints may mean introduction of other fingerprints resulting into conviction of the wrong person. To validate such evidence, it is important that the police keep the crime scene out of bounds from anyone who is not involved expertly with collection of the evidence by for instance enclosing the scene. The police sure always bear in mind that for a court to prove an individual guilty of committing a crime, the evidence at hand must surpass any reasonable doubt hence the need for comprehensive and accurate evidence.
While carrying out all the crime detection procedures, the police must remain awake to how far they are supposed to treat the suspect and the victims of the crime in order to make the procedures valid. They should realise that failure to adhere to the governing codes can be a tragic let down to the courts decision and judgment in any case. Positive identification of the crime perpetrator through the evidence presented by the police as crime detectors is always the aim of every jury signifying the need to have the police crime detection procedures valid.
Conclusion
Crime detection is a complex responsibility that is placed in the hands of the police in most jurisdictions in the world. There are many aspects on how the detections are carried out with different parties being involved but the role of the police is paramount. As such, police come in handy in responding to a call in a crime from where they can launch investigations, make arrests, and perform searches and inspections as general rules of the responsibility. When these procedures are carried out professionally and thoroughly, it becomes possible to connect the points surrounding a particular crime. Adherence to laid down guidelines concerning police investigations in a crime holds much weight in the manner in which a court of law is to execute judgment. The competent the procedures, the more just are the decisions and judgments of the court.
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