Criminal Investigation: Phases, Kinds, Goals, Forms and Categories

Flashcards covering vocabulary, definitions, phases, categories, and principles of criminal investigation from the lecture.

Suspect "at large"

Refers to a suspect who is not under arrest or detention, as distinguished from a fugitive from justice.

Pattern

A series of similarities that may link particular cases or indicate that the same person is committing a series of crimes.

Leads

Clues or pieces of information that aid in the progress of an investigation.

Tips

Leads provided specifically by citizens that aid in the progress of an investigation.

Theories

Beliefs based on the evidence, patterns, leads, tips, and other information developed and uncovered in the case.

Training

In the trichotomy of criminal investigation, a critical factor in developing a good and competent investigator, serving as the key to freedom from the bondage of ignorance.

Tools

In criminal investigation, the elements used to establish facts and develop evidence: information, interview, interrogation, and instrumentation.

Technique

The essence of tactical strategy in criminal investigation.

Formal Investigation

An official inquiry conducted by a government agency in an effort to uncover facts and determine the truth, usually concerning criminal activity.

Inquest

An effort to search for the basic cause of an incident, such as the commission of a crime.

Inquisition

A more historical description than current usage used to describe any penetrating investigation concerning a religious issue.

Probe

An extensive, searching inquiry conducted by a government agency, similar to a formal investigation.

Research

The most employed type of investigation, referring to careful, patient investigation done by scientists or scholars to identify original sources of data or causes of a problem.

Investigative Reporting

A recent type of investigation pursued by members of the press on their own initiative to attract readers/viewers and get to the roots of the problem.

Criminal Investigation

According to John Dempsey, an investigation carried out by the police.

Non-Criminal Investigation

An investigation that involves non-criminal incidents or events.

Reactive Investigation

An investigation initiated on the basis of a complaint.

Walk-through

A category of reactive investigation in which the suspect is easily determined and located.

Where-are-they

A category of reactive investigation in which the suspect has been tentatively identified but has not been located.

Whodunit

A category of reactive investigation in which no suspects are initially identified.

Proactive Investigation

Investigations designed to catch a criminal in the act of committing a crime.

Decoy Operations

Proactive operations involving blending and decoy tactics to catch criminals in flagrante delicto.

Undercover Operations

Proactive operations usually carried out in the form of buy-bust and entrapment.

Overt Investigation

An investigation conducted openly.

Covert Investigation

An investigation conducted in secret.

Recognition

A basic step in crime scene investigation involving efforts to identify data, including physical things that may provide relevant information regarding the case.

Collection

A basic step in crime scene investigation referring to the act of gathering identified data, facts, or physical things that are significant to the case.

Preservation

A basic step in crime scene investigation including the act of keeping collected evidence in its true and original form to prevent contamination or destruction.

Evaluation

The process of determining the probative value of evidence during crime scene investigation.

Presentation

The function of crime scene investigation that is primarily manifested inside the courtroom.

WHO Questions

Cardinal questions used to inquire on the identity of the victims or offended party, name of suspect, accomplices, accessories, and witnesses.

WHAT Questions

Cardinal questions used to find out what happened or took place before, during, and immediately after the commission of the offense.

WHERE Questions

Cardinal questions that localize the place of the incident (city/town, district/barangay, street/road, house/building number) to pinpoint the crime scene location.

WHEN Questions

Cardinal questions needed to determine and fix the time, day, month, and year when the crime was committed.

WHY Questions

Cardinal questions that endeavor to ascertain motives, causes, antecedents, previous incidents, related facts, and background occurrences explaining the offense.

HOW Questions

Cardinal questions designed to determine how the crime was committed, tools employed, how it was discovered, and how the culprit entered.

Golden Rule in Criminal Investigation

The rule stating: "Do not touch, alter, move, or transfer any object at the crime scene unless it is properly marked, measured, sketched and/or photographed."

MAC

An acronym representing mutilation, alteration, and contamination of physical evidence found at the crime scene.