Specialized Crime Investigation 2 Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms, definitions, principles, formulas, and crime scene procedures from CDI 3 Specialized Crime Investigation 2.

Investigare

The Latin word meaning 'to track or to look into for traces', from which the term investigation is derived.

Vestigium

The Latin word meaning 'footprint' or 'trace'.

Criminal Investigation

The collection of facts in order to identify the guilty party, locate the guilty party, and provide evidence of suspect guilt.

Investigation

An inquiry, judicial or otherwise, for the discovery and collection of facts concerning the matter or matters involved.

Interview

The non-accusatory, informal questioning of a person (witness, victim, complainant, or informant) who possesses knowledge relevant to an investigation.

Interrogation

The accusatory, formal questioning of a suspect, held in a controlled environment, to elicit a confession or admission of guilt regarding a specific crime.

The Gross' Formula

An investigative formula formulated by Dr. Hans Gross consisting of 95% Perspiration (hard work, diligence, and exhaustive effort), 3% Inspiration (intuition, logical reasoning, and insight), and 2% Luck (chance or felicity).

Dr. Hans Gross

An Austrian jurist and criminologist widely considered the 'Father of Criminalistics' or 'Father of Modern Criminal Investigation'.

Six Cardinal Points of Investigation

The key questions an investigator must establish, referred to as '5 wives and 1 husband': What, How, Who, Where, When, and Why.

Three-Fold Aims

The primary goals of criminal investigation: 1) To identify the offender, 2) To trace and locate the offender, and 3) To gather and present evidence of guilt.

Criminal Investigation as an Art

The aspect of criminal investigation that relies heavily on personal skills, intuition, experience, human insight, interpersonal skills, and creativity.

Criminal Investigation as a Science

The aspect of criminal investigation involving the application of systematic scientific principles, forensic sciences, objective observation, and hypothesis testing.

Criminal Investigation as a Process

The aspect of criminal investigation that follows a systematic, step-by-step procedure from initial response to final court presentation while adhering to legal guidelines.

Criminal Investigator

A public safety officer tasked to conduct the investigation of all criminal cases provided for under the Revised Penal Code/Criminal Laws and Special Laws.

Wisdom of Solomon

A quality of a criminal investigator to easily decipher falsehood from truth and separate the gain from the chaff.

Acting Ability

The quality of an investigator to go down to the level of different types of individuals.

Superior Reasoning Ability

The desirable trait of analyzing logically a multitude of facts and determining how they interrelate.

Intuition

Immediate apprehension or cognition; quick and ready insight without the conscious use of reasoning.

Clockwise Movement

The recommended systematic movement used when searching for evidence in rooms, buildings, and small outdoor areas.

Strip Search Pattern

A search method for large outdoor areas where the area is divided into strips about four (4) feet wide.

Chain of Custody

The documented list of all persons who came into possession of an item of evidence, establishing continuity of possession from collection to court presentation.

Macro Etching

A examination process automatically conducted at the PNP Crime Laboratory for all firearms found to have tampered serial numbers.