Chapter 3- Criminal Investigation: Field Notes, Documenting, and Reporting

These flashcards cover key terminology and concepts from Chapter 3 regarding crime scene field notes, police report writing, photography, and sketching methods.

Field notes

An investigator's most personal and readily available record of the crime scene search, which aids in recall when preparing official reports and testifying in court.

Field interview cards (FI cards)

Cards used by patrol officers to document names, addresses, and information when they encounter suspicious people or circumstances that do not provide sufficient cause for arrest.

Initial complaint

Also known as the face sheet or initial page, it provides an "at-a-glance" summary of the investigation, including the type of crime, suspect identifiers, and a synopsis of the case.

Supplemental reports

Reports generated as a case progresses to document new sources of information, such as new witnesses, physical evidence, or documents, in greater detail than the initial complaint.

Best evidence rule

A legal provision, as seen in Cheadle v. Barwell (1933), requiring that original notes or the archetype document be provided in court whenever possible.

General view photographs

Sweeping, long-range views of the crime scene area that demonstrate what the scene looks like in its own environment, such as a neighborhood or building exterior.

Medium-range view photographs

Photographs taken at a distance no greater than $20\text{ feet}$ away from the subject to depict specific items or objects within the crime scene.

Close-up view photographs

Photographs taken at a distance of less than $5\text{ feet}$ focusing on small segments or specific objects, often taken with a ruler to provide perspective.

Markers

Identifying devices such as rulers, tapes, or coins included in photographs to call attention to objects or enable the viewer to perceive size or distance.

Authentication

The principal requirement for admitting a photograph into evidence, requiring testimony from a witness that the photograph accurately and correctly portrays the scene.

Materiality

A legal precedent for admissibility requiring that the object portrayed in a photograph relates to and makes a substantive contribution to the specific case in question.

Crime scene sketch

A scale drawing that locates evidence in relation to other factors, representing the scene as it actually is rather than how it is perceived by a viewer.

Rough sketch

A diagram drawn by officers at the crime scene that reflects accurate dimensions and distances between objects but is generally not drawn to scale.

Finished sketch

A completed version of the crime scene sketch drawn to scale from information on the rough sketch, usually for presentation in court.

Coordinate method

A sketching method that measures an object from two fixed points of reference, such as the baseline technique where measurements are taken along a line drawn between known points.

Triangulation method

A bird's-eye view sketching method that uses two or more widely separated fixed objects to measure and locate an item of interest, particularly useful for outdoor scenes.

Cross-projection method

An indoor sketching method where the walls of a room are drawn as if they were "folded" down flat to reveal the locations of evidence on vertical surfaces.

Modus operandi

The method of operation used by a criminal, which can often serve as a clue for investigators to determine the suspect's identity.

Factuality

A rule for police reports stating that they must accurately reflect facts learned personally by the investigator rather than conclusions, hearsay, or opinions.

Containment

A priority in a manhunt where one or more officers observe every possible exit a suspect might take, often involving vehicle checkpoints or K-9 units.