CRIME DETECTION AND INVESTIGATION REVIEWER

(Specialized Crime Investigation 1 with Legal Medicine)

Crime Investigation (Special Crime Investigation)

 Is an art and applied science which deals with the identity and location of the offender and gather
pieces of evidence to prove the guilt of an accused in a court proceedings (Based PPT Definition)

Criminal Investigator -

Is a person who is charged with the duty of carrying the objectives of investigation, such as:

 Identify the criminals –

 Locate and arrest the offender -
 Gather evidence to prove his guilt
 Attend court duties as prosecution

(In the PNP or Police Organization to be an Investigator at least your minimum rank needs to be Police
Corporal)

Modus Operandi

 Made up of those actions that were necessary to complete the crime.

Signature-

 A general term used to described unnecessary actions to the crime.

Admission-

 Is the statement of facts by the accused in a criminal case which do not directly involve the
acknowledgment.

Confession-

 Is a direct acknowledgment by the accused in a criminal case of the truth of his guilt as to the
crime charged.

Additional Requirement for Confession or Admission to prove the guilt of the Accused

 It must be supported by other corroborative evidence.

 The Corpus Delicti must be established.
 The confession must be voluntary and freely given.

Modes of Filing of Criminal Case-

Inquest Filing

 Question - Can a suspect who voluntarily surrendered in the police station be subject to inquest?

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  Answer - Yes, a suspect who voluntarily surrendered in a police station can be subjected to
inquest proceedings.

Under Section 2, Rule 113 – Arrest is made by ACTUAL RESTRAINT of a person to be arrested, or by his
SUBMISSION TO THE CUSTODY of a person making the arrest.

Regular Filing – is a mode of filing a criminal case in the Prosecutors office if the suspect is not arrested
or cannot be immediately arrested.

Phases of Criminal Investigation

The main objective of a police investigator is to gather all facts in order to:

1. Identify the criminal through:

- Confession
- Eyewitness Testimony
- Circumstantial Evidence
- Associative Evidence
2. Trace and Locate the criminal
3. Proved by evidence the guilt of the suspect.

Kinds of Criminals

 Known Criminal
 Unknown Criminal

Stages of Investigation

I. Preliminary Investigation
II. Follow up Investigation
III. Final Investigation

Tracing and Locating the criminals through the use of Informants.

Informants – is a person who gives information to the investigator without any monetary or valuable
consideration.

Informer – Is a person who gives information with consideration of reward or monetary value.

Tracing and Locating by means of Surveillance

Surveillance

- is a clandestine form of investigation in order to obtain information pertinent to the purpose of

investigation.

Two General Types of Surveillance

Fixed Surveillance – also referred as Stakeout. It is conducted when a person, object, or activity being
watched is not expected to move.

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Moving Surveillance – also referred to as a Tailing or Shadowing. A moving surveillance is conducted
when a person, object or activity being watched moves from one place to another.

Types of Shadowing

Loose Tail – one employed where a general impression of the subject’s habit and associates is required.

Rough Shadowing – this could be done even without special precaution since the criminal is aware that
he is being tailed or shadowed.

Close Tail – this is done so much precaution from losing the subject where constant surveillance is
necessary.

Forensic Science

 is the application of science to criminal and civil laws enforce by the police agencies and criminal
justice system. (Based on PPT)

Crime Scene

- Is an area of vicinity of occurrence of physical evidence.

Types of Crime Scene

- Indoor
- Outdoor
- Conveyance

Classification of Crime Scene

Primary – Refers to the site of the original or first criminal activity.

Secondary – This may be subsequent places which may include the victim’s home, suspects home,
suspect’s vehicle, or any other comparable indoor or outdoor area.

Duty of the First Responders

Upon arrival at the crime scene, the first responder shall assess whether the victim is still alive in case of
violent incident and the same be brought to the nearest hospital and shall endeavor to arrest the
suspect/s if he is still at the crime scene.

 Cordon off the crime scene with whatever available materials.

 Evacuate injured person to the nearest hospital’
 Prepare to take the “Dying declaration” of severely injured person, if any
 Prevent entry/exit of persons within the cordoned area
 Prepare to brief investigators of the situation upon their arrival.

Basic Functions of Investigator

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  Providing emergency assistance
 Securing the crime scene.
 Photographing and Sketching.
 Takings notes and writing reports.
 Seaching for, obtaining and processing physical evidence.
 Obtaining information from witnesses and suspects.
 Identifying suspects.
 Stakeout and Undercover assignment.
 Testifying in court
 Investigation monitoring and research

Three Tools or Three “I”’s of Investigation

Information – refers to any data or knowledge which the investigator gathered and acquired from other
persons including the victim himself and from other sources, such as:

a) Public Records
b) Private Records
c) Modus Operandi File

Other sources of Information

- Regular source
- Cultivated source
- Grapevine source

Interrogation – is the vigorous skillful questioning of hostile witnesses and suspects who are reluctant to
divulge information. This is also known as Custodial Investigation.

Instrumentation – scientific examination of real evidence and qualification of instruments and methods of
physical sciences in the detection of crime such as ballistics, fingerprint, chemistry, polygraph and
others. It is otherwise known as Criminalistics.

Cardinal Rules or Points of Investigation

- WHAT offense has been committed?

- WHERE was the offense committed?
- WHO committed the offense?
- WHEN was the offense committed?
- HOW was the offense committed?

Goals of Criminal Investigation

 Determine if crime has been committed.

 Legally obtain information and evidence to identify persons responsible.
 Arrest of the suspects.
 Recover stolen property.
 Complete presentation of case to appropriate authority.

Kinds of Criminal Investigation

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  In-Custody Investigation
 At large Investigation
 Crime Scene Investigation

There are 7 Major Groups of Physical Evidence Found in the Crime Scene:

1. Weapon
2. Blood
3. Imprints
4. Tool Marks
5. Dust and dirt traces
6. Questioned documents
7. Miscellaneous trace evidence

THE LOCARD’S EXCHANGE PRINCIPLE

Whenever a criminal comes into contact with a victim, an object, or a crime scene, he or she will leave
behind evidence, and also take away evidence.

- Every Contact Leaves a Trace

Crime Scene Golden Rule

“Never touch or move any object at the crime scene unless it has been properly documented,
photographed, measured, and sketched”

Composition of S.O.C.O Team

A. Team leader
B. Photographer/log recorder
C. Sketch preparer
D. Evidence recorder/ Evidence recovery personnel
E. Specialist

WHEN RESPONDING TO A CRIME SCENE

Safety of the responding team – The safety and the physical well-being of officer and other individuals, in
and around the crime scene, are the initial responding officer’s priority.

CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION PROPER

1. Receipt of Briefing – The team leader upon arrival of the crime scene receives the briefing from the
first responder.
 The initial responder should assess vicitms for signs of life and medical needs and
provide immediate medical attention.
 Call for medical personnel and guide the medical personnel to the victim to minimize
contamination and alteration of the crime scene.
 Instruct the medical personnel not to clean up the scene or alter.
 If medical personnel arrived first get their names, unit, contact, number and location.

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 2. Designation of command post – Designate a command post which is ideally located adjacent to the
scene where the evidence custodian stays and receives the pieces of evidence turned over to him.
(Set up a temporary command post near the crime scene)
3. Initiation of the preliminary survey – The team leader makes a general assessment of the scene,
takes cautious walk-through of the crime scene, and takes down extensive notes to document
important factors
4. Note taking and logs – The personnel assigned in the note taking and logs in the crime scene uses
a systematic approach in taking and logs report.

NOTE TAKING LOG

 Crime scene location
 Name of witness and victims
 Arrival time/date
 Departure time/date
 Conditions of the crime scene
 Weather
 Name of supervising officers
 Identification of unit members
 Name of first responders
 Name and rank of those who enter and
exit the crime scene

5. Documentation of the crime scene – The photographer begins taking photographs as soon as
possible.

How to take photograph of evidence in a crime scene

- Take two photograph of evidence one without measuring device and the other is with
measuring device.

PURPOSE OF CRIME SCENE PHOTOGRAPHY To record the initial appearance of physical

evidence

 To provide investigators permanent visual records of the scene and evidence.

 Can be used in criminal court trials

6. Crime scene sketches – A sketch is prepared indicating the actual measurement of things with scale
and proportion observed and oriented to the north pole.

Four (4) measuring techiniques used to obtain accurate measurement for the sketch

1. Triangulation Method
2. Rectangular coordinate method
3. Polar coordinate method
4. Transecting baseline coordinate method

CRIME SCENE SKETCH

- Rough Sketch
- Final Sketch

Kinds of Sketch

 Sketch of Locality
 Sketch of Grounds
 Sketch of Details

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 7. Detailed Search – The search for physical evidence is done using the accepted methods of search
depending upon the actual location to be searched.

Method of Crime Scene Search

 The Parallel search method

 The Grid Search Method
 The Spiral Search Method
 The Quadrant or zone search method

A pattern used for searching areas at crime scenes. The spiral can begin at a specific point and spiral
outward or start on a perimeter and spiral inward. The Spiral Search Method

All the members of the CSI team form a line. They walk in a straight line, at the same speed, from one
end of crime scene to the other. The Parallel search method

It’s like the parallel method, with the exception that two strips are regarded to constitute a grid. Only
two individuals can accomplish the searches by going through different strips and then switching
strips for more precision. The Grid Search Method

Divide the scene to be searched into quadrants. Additional personnel may be used, or the investigator
can perform the search independently. Personnel searching each quadrant may use any method they
choose. This method works well in large areas. The Quadrant or zone search method

8. Collection of Physical Evidence – The team leader is always informed of significant evidence
located. The evidence collector shall put his initial, location and date of the collection on the item
and turn it over to the evidence custodian for documentation and safekeeping.

Method of recovery of traces materials:

 Shaking
 Brushing
 Taping Vacuuming
 Swabbing
 Hand Picking

Note: In cases the evidence needs special processing the SOCO specialist shall be requested.

Special methods of collecting physical evidence:

 Pieces of Paper – The paper should be handled with tongs and place where the size permist or
into cellophane envelopes.
 Glasses of bottle – These can be placed over a peg or small crates.
 Firearms, knives and tools – This type or articles can be secured by means of strings passing
through perforation.
 Hairs and Fibers – It should be picked up by forceps, wrapped loosely in a filter paper place in
envelop.
 Dirt, soil, particles, filings and fragments – they should be placed in separate small boxes and
then placed in pill boxes.
 Bullets and fired cases – They should be placed in small boxes and surrounded by cotton.

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  Semen stains – if it’s still moist it can be collected in a test tube. The are must be first moistening
with distilled water if it’s a dry stain.
 Blood – If in fluid condition, it would be removed by eye dropper and placed in a test tube. Saline
solution should be added in an amount about 1/5 that of the blood if found in the clothing.
 Paint on Vehicle – The paint may be removed with a piece of wood or with hard steel scalpel. A
filter paper should be used to contain the sample.

MARKING OR TAGGING OF EVIDENCE

1. Evidence labeling – Evidence should be marked with:

2. Initials (Collector)
3. Identification number (Badge number)
4. Evidence number
5. Date and time it was collected
6. Evidence description
7. Case Number

Evidence numbering – Each impression must have a unique number, this number should: correspond to
the placard next to the evidence

MARKING OF SPECIFIC EVIDENCE

- Firearms – It should be unloaded before submission. The marking should on the right of the
frame.
- Bullet – Avoid scarring the area with rifling imprint. The bullet may be marked at the nose.
- Cartridge case – A fired cartridge case should be marked at the inside portion of the mouth.

9. Conduct of final survey – The team leader makes a final review of the crime scene to determine
whether or not the processing has been completed.
10. Release of the crime scene – The release of the crime scene shall be done if the investigator is
satisfied that all pieces of evidence have been recovered.

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