New Detective and Criminal Investigator (Villaverde)

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND AGENDA (CLICK HERE)

This course is designed to introduce the foundation of criminal investigations to Uniform Patrol and Criminal Investigators. Whether you are the uniform officer responding to the call or the criminal investigator that will be handling the case, every first responder’s job is important. No matter what type of investigation is going to be conducted, the fundamentals of criminal investigation remain the same. Applying determination, sound investigative practices, techniques and procedures will enhance the investigator’s ability to solve a case. Additionally, uniform patrol and criminal investigators will learn the importance of securing, preserving and the collection of evidence from the scene. Uniform Patrol and Criminal Investigators will learn the proper techniques in dealing with witnesses, suspects and testifying in criminal proceedings. After the completion of this course al first responders will feel confident in having learned the foundation of criminal investigations.

This course is a comprehensive INTRODUCTORY LEVEL overview for the law enforcement officer who has recently become assigned the crucial task of conducting supplemental investigations of suspected criminal offenses. During this course the student will also be exposed to various injury, death, homicide, and sexually sensitive and explicit sexual battery cases. Also included in this course will be several post-mortem examination photographs and videotape segments, as well as injury, death, and homicide scenes through Detective and New Criminal Investigator photos and videotapes from actual closed cases. This part of the course will be VERY GRAPHIC AND INTENSE.

Upon successful completion of this course, each student will have acquired a comprehensive understanding and skills, which are needed to conduct a thorough and meticulous investigation concerning suspected criminal activity.

Accountability:
In any investigation the lead investigator will be charged with the responsibility of the investigation and will ultimately be held accountable for the integrity and success of the completed investigation. Participants will be made aware of the proper methods of ensuring that the scene is properly processed and that first responders document their actions during the investigation. This documentation includes written reports, photographs, measurements, sketches, analyzation of evidence and area canvasses. Participants will learn the importance on why everyone should be held accountable for their specific roles during an investigation. By learning the
importance of everyone being held accountable during investigations, the participants will see how it translates into successful prosecutions for their cases.

Burglary, Robbery, Homicide, and Police-Involved Shooting:
Police officers are called to investigate approximately over 2.5 million burglaries a year. Police officers investigate over 300,000 robberies a year. Police officers are called to investigate approximately over 22,000 homicides a year. Lastly, Police Officers are involved in over 1000 police-involved shootings a year. These types of investigations will receive public scrutiny and certain types can become national news immediately. First responders will see the complete investigative process on these types of investigations, from the initial call being received, to the prosecution. The importance will be for participants to be able to see how the fundamentals of criminal investigation were applied in these crimes, and to understand how and why things were done. Additionally, these investigative techniques can be applied to all investigative cases from property crimes to person crimes.

Beginning the Criminal Investigation: The 10 Most Common Investigative Errors - Defining Crime – Evidence and Crime Scene Issues – Investigative Training Skills Required – The Investigator’s Responsibilities – The Preliminary Inquiry

The Crime Scene:
Fourth Amendment Considerations – Judicially Created Exceptions – Search Warrant Requirements – Crime Scene Search & Protection of Area – Thermal Injuries- Blood at the Scene- Dental- 3 Types of Track Evidence- The Importance of Documenting Weather- Blood at Crime Scenes- Hangings vs. Strangulations – Shaken Baby Syndrome

Injury & Death Investigations:
Classifications of Homicide – Evaluation of Information from The Autopsy – Time of Death Considerations – Wound Information and Evidence – Firearms – Blunt Force Trauma – Incisions – Stabbing – Offender Injuries from Self-Wounding – Suicide Investigations – Autoerotic Asphyxia & “The Choking Game”

Sex Crimes:
The Basic Principles of Deviant Sexual Behavior – Paraphilias – Investigative Strategies for Officers to include the 4 Types of Rapists, the 3 defenses a rapist will give you, the two “M.O.’s in a sex crime, the two parts of a confession with sex offenders and the three reasons “evidence” is taken from a rape scene.

Strategies for A Successful Investigation:
Where Your Investigation Begins – Legal Issues Involving the Investigation – Goals and Objectives of a Successful Investigation – The Importance of the Post-Arrest Investigation – Case Management Strategies –Organization –Checklists -Solvability Factors/ Case Filtering –Studies Impacting Criminal Investigations – Sources of Information – Knowing & Utilizing Available Resources – Conducting Successful Line-ups – Analytical Tools and the Internet – UCR/NIBRS.