Day 1 - Foundations and History of Criminal Investigation

CJ 410 Criminal Investigations

Intro

  • Date: 01/12/26

  • Focus Topic: Foundations and History of Criminal Investigation

    • Criminal investigations, crime scenes, and evidence collection involve complex processes.

    • Requires law enforcement to have extensive knowledge in a wide variety of subjects.

  • Modern-day fascination with law enforcement, crime, crime fighting, and crime solving:

    • Influenced by novels, television crime dramas, and movies.

    • Classic theme often centers around "Good Versus Evil."

    • Despite entertainment value, these portrayals rarely resemble real-life criminal investigations.

Historical Context

  • In England, the first "police" only worked at night, known as the "watch of London."

    • Many initial watchmen were criminals themselves.

  • Henry Fielding was appointed as a magistrate in Westminster:

    • Created England's first policing force, known as the Bow Street runners.

    • The Bow Street runners were among the first well-known investigators.

    • Structured as a horse patrol and an organized permanent foot patrol, becoming the first uniformed policing agency in England.

  • Significant Development in 1829:

    • Establishment of the first municipal police department in London, spearheaded by Sir Robert Peel.

    • Officers were colloquially referred to as "bobbies" or "peelers."

    • Force consisted of 1,000 uniformed, full-time police officers.

Officer Requirements

  • Officers were required to meet specific standards:

    • Height requirements.

    • Weight requirements.

    • Literacy requirements.

  • William J. Herschel and Henry Faulds made significant contributions:

    • Discovered fingerprints are unique to each individual and remain unchangeable throughout a person's life.

Evolution of Criminal Investigation in England

  • By 1877, Howard Vincent restructured Scotland Yard:

    • Established the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

    • CID became well-known for its investigative methods and fingerprinting techniques.

Criminal Investigation in America

  • Milestones in municipal law enforcement:

    • First municipal law enforcement police department in the United States was established in New York in 1844.

    • Other early departments were founded in Philadelphia and Boston around the same period.

    • By the 1870s, most major U.S. cities had established police departments.

Evolution of Policing in America

  • Three significant elements that impacted criminal investigations:

    1. Municipal police were supported by county sheriff departments in rural areas.

    2. Establishment of the Texas Rangers in 1835, predating Texas statehood.

    3. Formation of various federal policing agencies:

    • U.S. Marshals Service (1789)

    • Secret Service (1865)

Objectives of Criminal Investigation

  • Six primary objectives of criminal investigation include:

    1. Detect Crime.

    2. Locate and Identify suspects in crimes.

    3. Locate, document, and preserve evidence in crimes.

    4. Arrest suspects involved in crimes.

    5. Recover stolen property.

    6. Prepare sound criminal cases for prosecution.