Introduction/History of Criminal Investigations (Chapter 1)

HISTORY OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
• Early history = Kin Policing
• Roman Influence
• The Twelve Tables (Quaestorees Parricidi)
• Trial by Ordeal
• Trial by Combat
• 13th Century
• Age of Reason
• Sheriff established

Intro to Criminal Investigations/College of Coastal Georgia
HISTORY OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
• 1750: Henry Fielding introduced the Bow Street Runners (England)
• Fee based
• Established many of today’s modern practices
• Informants
• Raids
• 1829: Metropolitan Police of London established
• 1842 – Investigative Unit Established
• 1810: France established the French Surete (Security)
• Founder was Francois-Eugene Vidocq (convicted criminal)
• Established Undercover roles – mainly in prisons – to gain information

Intro to Criminal Investigations/College of Coastal Georgia
HISTORY OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
• 1789: Judiciary Act
• Established multi-tiered Federal Court System, 6-member Supreme Court,
Attorney General
• Established the United States Marshals Service
• United States appointed the Revenue Cutter Service – smuggling
• 1829: US Postal Service detectives – mail fraud
• 1846: Boston PD appointed 3 detectives
• Others: New York (1857), Philadelphia (1859), Chicago (1860), Massachusetts
(1865)

Intro to Criminal Investigations/College of Coastal Georgia
HISTORY OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
• Allan Pinkerton
• 1849 became a Chicago Police Detective
• 1850s opened a private detective agency
• Go to agency for domestic & international investigations
• 1872 – established liaison with European police agencies
• He created Operatives – his own investigators that infiltrated criminal gangs,
organizations, Western Union
• 1856: First female investigator-

Intro to Criminal Investigations/College of Coastal Georgia
HISTORY OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
• Police Officers vs Detectives (Investigators)
• Varies based on size of Police Departments
• Uniform Officers arrive at crime scenes first (locate suspect, preserve crime
scene, etc)
• Begin obtaining information prior to arriving
• Find witnesses, interview
• Determine next steps (crime scene, investigators, technicians, supervisors)
• Take notes, body cams,
• Continue to supplement investigators
• Community Policing

Intro to Criminal Investigations/College of Coastal Georgia
HISTORY OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
• Basic Responsibilities of a Detective/Investigator
• Establish that a crime was committed (what law(s) was/were broken)
• Crime scene management: search, photograph, collect physical evidence
(integrity)
• Interview witnesses, victims & potential suspects (interrogate)
• Document
• Investigate steps: work with other LE, phone records, other databases, social
media
• Surveil suspects – visual, electronic (stay current)
• Search warrants
• Arrest Warrants/Prosecute