547 crimes reported daily, 22 per hour: Crime scene recognition and awareness

By: Sedem Kwasigah

On the average, Ghana’s crime rate has been on the rise since 2018. According to the 2021
public safety and crime report, violent crimes rose by 40.8% from 2020 to 2021. The same
report indicated that the leading forms of violent crime cases in the country were
Manslaughter, armed robbery and aggravated assault.

Criminal investigation is gradually becoming a very rigorous process throughout the world.
Police organizations have had to rely on experts from various fields to successfully get to
the bottom of what happens during the occurrence of crime. One of the factors that has
contributed to the general rigor in criminal investigation is the lack of public and police
forensic awareness in general.

The Ghana Police Service commissioned the Forensic Science Laboratory in 2011 to
improve criminal investigation in Ghana. This, being progress, has its own challenges,
especially in crime and forensic awareness of the Police and the general public

Data from the Ghana Police Service indicates that at least 200,000 complaints are reported
annually since 2016. This means that on the average, about 547 crimes are reported daily
and 22 on an hourly basis. Furthermore, less than 0.5% of reported cases are acquitted on
annual basis since 2016.

These statistics are alarming given the high likelihood of encountering crime at such a rate
and not coming out of it as innocent. The leading reported crime cases in Ghana include
assault, stealing, and road accidents. Both assault and stealing are misdemeanors which
could lead to a custodial sentence.

Given the fact that in every hour, there is an average of 22 crime related incidents
occurring and only less than 0.5% of people involved in that crime coming out as
acquitted, it is important to increase education and awareness to the public on
recognizing crime as it happens and what to do and not do so as to avoid self-
incrimination and obstruction of justice.

Forensic awareness is thus important in preserving evidence that eventually leads to proper
delivery of justice.

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Types of crime scenes and how to recognize them

Indoor types
Indoor crime scenes usually occur within an enclosed, covered or roofed
area like a bedroom, enclosed garage, classroom, kitchen, cabinet among others. This can
also be a place where crime has been committed which includes indoor space which has
evidence from a crime like a rubber bag containing a bloody knife stuck under a bed. These
places

One must note that the entire area of a crime scene might not be limited by what is seen by a
victim or a witness of a crime or it’s scene. For instance, when a crime occurs in the master
bedroom of a two-bedroom self-contained apartment, the entire apartment is considered a
crime scene by the law enforcement agency in charge of investigation.

Sometimes, this might also extend to places beyond that apartment. It is the job of law
enforcement to establish the entire area of the crime scene. It is also important to note that if
any suspicious object, instrument or mark such as a gun, a bloody knife, a blood-soaked
towel or bedspread or towel, a bloody footprint or hand print, particularly one suspected of
being part of a crime is found within an enclosed area, that place is to be considered a crime
scene until otherwise confirmed.

Some odd indoor scenes

Trafficking
Crime scenes are however not always bloody red. Recently, attention has been called to the
rise of kidnapping and human trafficking in Ghana. These types of crimes do not always
present the types of crime scenes the ordinary citizenry is used to. Extra vigilance is needed
to spot these types of crimes to report them.

Cyber fraud
Data from the Ghana Police’s cybercrime bureau suggests that the most prevalent
cybercrime in Ghana is cyber fraud which accounts for more than 45% of all cybercrime
related cases.
It is important to look at it from an indoor crime scene perspective. Most cybercrimes are
enacted by actors from within the confines of a room. Beside this, most cyber fraudsters
have been found to operate in groups. The public is encouraged to be vigilant when one sees
a lot of people inhabiting a location and a in possession of lots of computing devices such as
laptops, webcams, routers and modems.

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Terrorism

Because this form of crime hinges on publicity, its telltale signs are loud, just not before it is
orchestrated. The variability in the way it is carried out makes it a bit challenging to spot
especially in an indoor context. Here is something worth noting though. It is advisable for
one to be suspicious when encountering a stockpile of unidentified crates in an indoor space.
Large volumes of nitrate-based fertilizer (urea, ammonia, nitrates) in an indoor space
especially one not owned by a farmer.

Also, it is advisable to suspect such acts when one encounters a person with multiple
identity documents with different information, surveillance on public spaces especially
crowded ones with little security presence.

Outdoor crime scenes

Just like it sounds, an outdoor crime scene is an environmentally exposed location where a
crime has been committed like a compound, on the road, a park, an exposed farm, a
backyard garden, scenes of motor accidents, disasters, explosions and natural disasters.
Because of the level of environmental exposure, evidence from outdoor is at the mercy of
environmental conditions.

Some odd outdoor scenes

Clandestine labs
Clandestine labs are used to produce illicit drugs. Because of the possible danger such actors
might pose, it is unlikely that an outsider would find himself inside. Some of the signs of
having a clandestine lab include; having a high frequency of pungent emissions from an
enclosed house, frequent generation and disposal of a lot of refuse and a consistently high
level of security.
Having these conditions on individually is not necessarily a telltale sign of the operation of a
clandestine lab however, having these conditions all in one place along with the neighbors
being repulsive or unfriendly should breed suspicion.

The conveyance scene

Crimes that occur on moving means of transportation are conveyance crimes. Examples
could be vans (trotros), taxis, trains, planes, canoes boats, ships etc. Basically, any crime
which occurs aboard any form of vehicle is considered a conveyance crime. Car snatching
and hijacking also form part of this category.

Some other things worth discussing

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The electronic crime scene
The advent of information technology in light of COVID-19 has increased our reliance on
electronic devices and the internet. Day in day out, there is no small count of internet related
crimes reported in Ghana. Because of their rising nature and the general low rate of
cybersecurity awareness, it is likely a greater part of the population has already interacted
with an electronic crime scene.
The commonest of such attacks are social engineering schemes where victims or targets are
called to give critical information that renders vulnerable, their digital security. Other forms
of attacks including the deployment of various malware to access information and hold a
device or organization hostage all have one thing in common.
Thus, they involve a digital device such as mobile phones, laptop and desktop computers,
smart watches and emerging domestic Internet of Things devices which store data valuable
to investigation. I would have you know that anytime someone calls you to con you into
sending mobile money, or to enter and give out your pin, the mobile phone you are holding
becomes a piece of electronic evidence.

The human body

Certain crimes, leave valuable evidence on the human body. Sexual crimes such as rape and
defilement tend to leave a lot of valuable, yet transient forms of evidence on the bodies of
the victim or perpetrator of the crime. In such cases, it is imperative to note the evidential
value of victim and take the necessary steps to not lose them.

Another key example where the human body is involved is murder. This is largely
recognized for obvious reasons although because of the cultural value we as a people give to
the dead, we do a lot to interfere with the investigation. It is common practice in Ghana to
cover dead bodies with pieces of cloth or leaves. Even in some cases, the scene is washed
and bleached before the arrival of police. All these actions humper the investigative process
heavily.

Despite the various forms of evidence mentioned, it is important to note that even the most
organized crimes do not always go as planned and most often than not, a single crime may
transcend two or more types of crime scenes.