special topics final

FRO

• The actions of the first responding officer (FRO) are critical to the successful resolution of the incident 

• The FRO may be the only person to see the crime scene in its original condtion

  • Establihes what was seen, heard, smelled and done upon arrival

• The initial case report will be the basis for further investigation and follow up 

ARRIVE

• A - assess scene safety

• R - render aid if appropriate 

• R - restrict access (scene control)

• I - identify witnesses and involved parties

• V - verify information

• E - establish a preliminary scene log

• in order of importance

initial observations

• What to note immediately

  • Date, time, and method of notification (dispatch info)

  • Environmental conditions (weather, road conditions, crowd presence 

  • Behavior of involved persons (calm, combative, fleeing)

  • Initial scene condition (doors open/closed, lights on/off, smells, sounds)

• Transient evidence: temporary or short lived evidence that can easily be changed, lost, or destroyed due to environmental conditions or the passage of time 

  • Ex. odors (gasoline), temperature (of an object), moisture (wet footprints), fire patterns (before extinguishment)

interviewing on scene

• Taking statements from key players is usually the responsibility of the FRO

• Officer safety tips 

  • Never sit down if the person you are interviewing is standing

  • Have a second officer present if possible 

• Best practices:

  • Obtain a photo ID prior to interviewing to obtain demographic information

  • Introduce yourself and state the purpose of the interview

Three phase interview process 

• The individual simply tells the story of what happened

  • Ask open ended questions, get them talking

  • Use your body language to comfort and encourage conversation 

  • Not taking notes, letting them talk 

• The individual tells the story again, and the officer takes notes

  • Check this story for consistency with the first telling of the events

  • The officer can ask follow up questions during this phase 

• The officer reads back his notes to the subject

  • This is where you have the opportunity to catch any errors or discover something that has been left out

admission

•  when a person acknowledges certain facts that connect them to a crime, but does not take full responsibility for committing it; it may be partial, indirect or incomplete but can still be used as evidence to help establish guilt when combined with other facts

  • Partial scope

  • I was there when the fight started

confession

• when a person admits to the essential elements of the crime they are accused of; a complete acknowledgement of guilt/direct admission of responsibility 

  • Complete scope

  • I punched him first

what is a face sheet

• Purpose: 

  • Serves as official summary of the incident

  • Provides key identifiers 

  • Ensures the incident can be properly tracked, classified, and linked to other reports/evidence

• The specific format varies by agency, but the FRO is responsible for completing the face sheet

  • Case information

  • Personnel information

  • Parties involved 

  • Scene and evidence overview 

  • Notifications made 

traffic reports primary goals

• A traffic report documents incidents that occur on public roadways - such as collisions, traffic violations, or vehicle stops

• Primary goals:

  • Establish the sequence of events leading up to the traffic stop or crash

  • Identify drivers, vehicles, witnesses, and contributing factors

  • Provide a factual basis for legal proceedings/purposes

traffic reports legal importance

• Traffic court (citations)

• Criminal investigations (DUI, vehicular homicide)

• Civil litigation (insurance claims, personal injury lawsuits)

traffic reports key components

• Introduction

• Narrative section

• Crash or collision reports (if applicable)

• Conclusion 

• Date, time, and location of incident - dispatch/case information

• Reporting officer’s information

• Roadway names, lane direction, weather, and lighting conditions

• Vehicle and driver information (make/model, tag, VIN, insurance/license status)

• Final actions taken (warning, citation issued, arrest)

traffic reports sketches include

• Case information

• Directional arrow indicating north

• Lanes, intersections, and traffic signals/stop signs

• Vehicle paths before, during and after collision

• Impact points, skid marks, debris fields and final resting positions

• Reference measurements

• “Not to scale” note 

statements

• Law enforcement professionals spend a lot of time speaking to witnesses, victims, and suspects

• These statements form the foundation of most reports

  • Provide firsthand accounts of what occurred

  • Serve as key evidence for investigations, prosecutors, and courts

• Poorly documented or unclear statements can weaken a case

• Basic interview guidelines can help ensure that all the necessary information is gathered 

parties

• Complainant:

  • a person who initiates the report or call for service

• Victim:

  • a person who suffers harm (physical injury, emotional trama, property loss, etc.) as the result of a crime

• Witness:

  • a person who observed or has firsthand knowledge of some part of the incident 

• Suspect:

  • a person believed to have committed or attempted to commit the offense

• Involved other:

  • a person who is connected to the incident but is not a victim, complainant, suspect or witness

interview

• to gather information, clarify facts, and obtain the person’s account of events

interrogation

• to obtain a confession or admission from a person suspected of committing a crime

rights in an interview

• miranda warning not required because person is not in custody/detained

rights in an interrogation

• miranda warning required if the suspect is in custody/detained and being questioned about the offense

• custodial detention → you can ask about criminal involvement

3 different types of statements

• Verbal statement: verbal statements given during questioning 

  • Can occur in person or via phone

  • Must be recorded in notes and summarized in the final report

• Written statement: signed document written by the interviewee in their own words

• Recorded interview: audio or video recorded

  • Requires transcript or summary

suspect interview

• The importance of rapport

  • Rapport refers to the professional relationship of trust, respect, and communication established between the interviewer and interviewee

  • For suspects, rapport is especially critical

• Goals of rapport building:

  • Create a calm, professional environment where open dialogue is possible

  • Encourage voluntary, truthful statements that will hold up under legal scrutiny 

Techniques for establishing rapport

• Find common ground

  • Start with neutral, non-case-related topics to lower anxiety

    • Ex. weather, drive, general background

  • Allow the suspect to talk freely at first

    • Helps them feel heard

    • Give you insight into their communication style

• Mirroring and empathy

  • Match tone and pace of speech subtly 

    • Builds subconscious trust

  • Show understanding without agreeing

    • Ex. i understand that must’ve been frustrating for you

• Empathy does not equal agreement: it’s about showing professionalism and composure 
  

Transitioning to questioning 

• Once rapport is established, gradually shift to the substantive portion of the interview/interrogation

• Techniques:

  • Read and document (to include time) miranda when appropriate 

  • Use open ended questions first

  • Progress to specific, detailed follow ups

  • Avoid leading or accusatory phrasing early in the process

  • Directly confront suspect when appropriate

  • Document both verbal and nonverbal cues in your notes

    • Tone changes

    • Hesitation

    • Body language 

warrants

• constitutional under the 4th amendment

fourth amendment

• The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government, requiring that warrants be supported by probable cause and specifically describe the place to be searched and items to be seized, stemming from colonial-era abuses like general warrants

requirements of warrant

• probable cause

  • facts and circumstances within officer knowledge that a crime is present or has been committed

• specific items, specific locations (specificity requirement)

• oath or affidavit

• judge to authorize

what’s an affidavit

• a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation

PC affidavit

Probable cause affidavit 

• Sworn written statement of facts prepared by law enforcement

• Explains reasoning and evidence that establishes probable cause for arrest or search 

  • Jurisdiction

  • Elements of a crime

  • Suspect’s participation in the crime 

  • Probable cause

  • Affiant’s signature 

• Submitted to a judge or magistrate for review 

• (when used for arrest)

  • Must be completed within 48 hours of arrest

    • Failure to obtain judicial review within this time can make continued detention illegal

best practice:

• Supervisors, prosecutors, and judges do not like reading multiple pages looking for your probable cause

• Just state the facts in the affidavit

• The case report you write will be reviewed later by the prosecution if they decide to move forward with the case

• Purpose: to establish factual grounds for arrest/search

  • May be used in lieu of an arrest warrant if the person is in custody

• Content: narrative of facts and evidence

• Requested by: law enforcement officer

• Authorized by: judge or magistrate

required elements of PC affidavit

• Jurisdiction

• Elements of a crime

• Suspect’s participation in the crime 

• Probable cause

• Affiant’s signature 

• Submitted to a judge or magistrate for review 

arrest warrant

• An official court order authorizing law enforcement to arrest a named individual

• Completed when: 

  • The agency wants the court to review PC prior to executing an arrest 

  • The person who committed the crime is not in custody

• Should be accompanied by a PC affidavit 

• Do not have a time limit in which they must be executed

• A copy must be provided to the offender

• A return must be provided to the court

Best practice

• If the person you are charging with a crime is in custody, then the PC affidavit is all that needs to be completed to book them into jail

• If the person is not in custody, then the PC affidavit needs to be completed as well as the arrest warrant 

• Purpose: to legally authorize arrest

• Content: legal order naming suspect and offense

• Requested by: law enforcement officer

• Authorized by: judge or magistrate

requirements of arrest warrant

• Requirements

  • Name or description of suspect

  • Specific charge or offense - supported by PC

  • venue/jurisdiction

  • Affiant’s signature

  • Authorizing signature 

search warrant

• A written judicial authorization allowing law enforcement to enter and search a specific place for specific evidence

requirements of search warrant

• Requirements:

  • Exact location to be searched (venue/jurisdiction)

  • Items or evidence sought

  • Specific charge or offense - supported by PC

  • Affiant’s signature 

  • Authorizing signature 

  • sometimes affiant experience

• Should be accompanied by a PC affidavit 

affiant experience

• An additional element of the SW is the affiant basis section

• This is the training, knowledge, and experience that leads the affiant to believe that said items are at the location being requested and that said items are related to proving the elements of the crime

additional requirements of search warrant

• Time to execute the search warrant

  • Once a magistrate issues a SW, it must be executed within a specific timeframe

    • Varies by jurisdiction - 10 days in georgia

• Property and evidence list

  • A list of all items obtained from the search must be provided to both the suspect and the judge

• SW return 

  • Once the search is complete, officers must perform a warrant return “without unnecessary delay”

  • Official report back to the issuing judge (original warrant and return, inventory of seized items)

miscellaneous documents

• chain of custody form (p&e sheet)

• Photograph log

• sketch/diagram sheet

• Latent print card

• Evidence label (tag)

• Evidence processing form (in-house processing)

• Evidence submission form (lab request form)

property and evidence form

aka Chain of custody form -

• def: the continuity of possession of evidence or custody of evidence and its movement and location from the point of discovery and recovery (at the scene of a crime or from a person) to its transport to the laboratory for examination and until the time it is allowed and admitted in the court

• Purpose: to track every person who handles an item of evidence from the moment it is collected until its presentation in court

• AKA property and evidence form

  • Required as part of the SW requirement

• Key components: 

  • Case information

  • Evidence description

  • Collection details

  • Transfers/custody log

  • Final disposition 

components of chain of custody form (p&e form)

• Case information:

  • case number, offense type, date/time, location, investigating agency, officer name

• Evidence description:

  • unique item number, quantity, detailed description (type, color, brand, serial number)

• Collection details:

  • name of collector, date/time of collection, location found

• transfers/custody log:

  • table recording each exchange (date/time, name and signature of releasing officer, receiving person, purpose)

• Final disposition:

  • how and when the evidence was returned, destroyed, or permanently retained 

arrival (done on scene) documents

• Crime scene log

• Photograph log

  • records every photograph taken at a scene in numerical order

    • case/officer info

    • Photo number

    • Photo description

    • Photo direction/orientation

    • Camera settings

    • date/time photo taken

• Scene sketch

  • used to create scene sketches with measurements and labels 

    • Title (case/officer info)

    • Scale

    • North arrow

    • Key legend 

evidence collection documents

• Property and evidence sheet

• Latent print cards

  • used when latent fingerprints are lifted

    • case/officer info

    • Lift number

    • Location

    • Sketch

    • Orientation 

• Evidence labels

  • (tag): physical tag affixed to each evidence package 

    • case/officer info

    • Item number

    • date/time/location of collection

    • Item description

subsequent processing documents

• Evidence processing form (in-house processing)

• Evidence submission form  (lab request form)

evidence management

• dispositions are from these 3:

• return to lawful owner

  Property is returned to its rightful owner after it is determined that it is no longer needed as evidence or as required by a court ordered release

• destruction order

  Physical destruction of items no longer needed or that cannot be lawfully retained; requires a court order

• conversion to agency use

  Property or equipment is repurposed for law enforcement use or sold publicly/at auction after court approval

retention periods

• Retention periods vary by case type

  • Misdemeanors: often 2-3 years

  • Felonies: often 7-10 years

  • Seven deadlies: essentially indefinite 

• Contraband exceptions

in house processing vs outside lab processing

• In house processing

  • Latent print development 

  • Presumptive biological/chemical testing

  • Helps determine which items should be sent to the crime lab

  • Prevents duplicate or unnecessary 

• Outside crime lab processing

  • Need for specialized equipment 

  • Confirmatory biological/chemical testing

    • Microscopic examination

    • Advanced chemical processes 

  • Inconclusive in-house results

process for fingerprints in house

• Light

• Powders

  • Standard

  • Magnetic

  • Fluorescent - must be used with an alternate light source (ALS)

  • Differentiate the ones you use and color; very descriptive 

• Chemicals

  • Cyanoacrylate (superglue)

  • Fluorescent dye stains - must be used with an ALS

  • Chemicals for porous substrates

  • Chemicals for special surfaces: tape, blood, wet items

biological specimens

• Presumptive blood test 

  • ALS

  • Phenolphthalein

  • Leuco-malachite reagent 

  • Hexagon OBTI

  • Chemiluminescence 

• confirmatory outside

  • some chemical processing

  • microscope

semen

• Presumptive seminal fluid test 

  • ALS (alternate light source)

  • Acid phosphatase 

drug chemistry

• Presumptive drug tests

  • Include brand

• send to lab for confirmatory

in house report

• Case information

• Item description 

  • Use complete descriptors 

    • Avoid vague terminology 

  • Correlate the item to the item bumber used on the P&E sheet, markers used while photographing scene, or interenal P&E item identifiers 

  • List items in the order of processing

• Processing method/s with key 

• Latent print recovery

• Summary (narrative) 

  • Introductory paragraph

    • who/when/where/why you are in contact with this evidence

  • Step by step processing sequence

    • Observations at each stage

    • Problems encountered 

    • Deviations from protocol (with justification)

  • Results 

  • Conclusion paragraph

    • Returning of evidence 

GBI DOFS

• Overview 

  • State crime lab for georgia

  • Provides confirmatory testing

  • Requires correct submission forms 

  • Chain of custody continues through the lab

accreditation standards

• ANAB accreditation ISO/IEC 17025 testing laboratory

  • Security/access control

  • Personnel requirements

  • Method validation - “fit for purpose”

  • Traceability and equipment 

  • Measurement uncertainty 

  • Reporting of results - clear, objective and unambiguous 

  • Technical notes

  • Chain of custody 

submission form to GBI includes

• Agency information 

• Case information

• Item description

• Requested analyses 

• Additional questions/notes*

• Incident report*

• *may or may not be included

submission form to GBI requirements

• Proper packaging 

  • Paper vs plastic

  • Double bagging

  • Firearms unloaded and rendered safe 

• Proper labeling 

• Biohazard warning

• Completed submission form 

lab workflow

• Intake and accessioning 

  • Formal process, give case and evidence items own internal number

• Assignment to a unit

• Testing

• Peer review

• Report writing

• Notification to agency

• Evidence return 

order of formal lab report

• Case information

• Summary of items submitted

• Methods of analysis

• Results and conclusions

  • interpretation/statistical analysis* 

• Analyst signature and credentials 

• DISCLAIMER: GBI is very inconsistent in their report structure across units/analysts