Holly Connell
Assignment 6b
(P3)Stages of a criminal investigation
First arrival at scene, initial investigation
Once the scene is secured and all involved/injured persons are safe, evidence gathering can
begin. If the task is complex, first responders should call in experts. Any victim’s injuries
should be photographed and filed at an early stage. Physical evidence should be recorded,
as well as photos taken and any CCTV checked. House enquiries local to the scene should
be made, to identify any witnesses. Any forensic evidence should be taken too.
The first responder is a witness and should be ready to give a statement, they should avoid
jumping to conclusions about who is a victim and who is a perpetrator. It’s their responsibility
to provide any safeguarding to victims, and then make sure all information is correctly
passed on to their handover.
Further investigation
Objectives, strategies and required resources should be established at this stage. Evidence
gathered should be evaluated to identify suspects.
Suspect management
Suspects should be investigated in compliance with the PACE act, and only held under
reasonable belief it is likely they committed the crime.
Resources available to investigators
Technique overview laws/protocols advantages/ Ethical
disadvantages considerations
bugs Used in Can be used for Discreet, secret Person being
people’s homes national bugged does
or cars to listen security, or for Can only record not know it,
to what they say the purpose of audio in the violation of
preventing/ location they privacy
detecting have been
serious crime placed.
cameras Police can wear Worn by officers Act as witness, Unbiased
BWV cameras who deal with Can be used as evidence
to record the public, evidence in
interactions and should be turned court
searches on when
performing any
police actions or
searches
Facial ID Compares live Can be used to Can mix up People’s faces
software camera feeds help locate faces and miss are recorded to
against a suspects, them in low a list without
predetermined criminals and quality footage consent
list of wanted missing people
faces to find
criminals
, Holly Connell
Forensic gait Analysis of a Cannot be used Footwear, Analyst’s bias
analysis person’s as only evidence health and the can cause unfair
posture and in trial, must be camera used profiling of a
walk to identify used alongside can cause person.
them through other evidence variation
CCTV
Automatic Technology Rules to control Number plates Stores data of
number plate scans recognise who can access vary by location, all passing
recognition number plates the database, software must vehicles,
of passing cars only police who be customised regardless of
and save the need it for an for its location. whether or not
data. investigation can they are
look at it. Allow for faster suspected in
response times criminal activity.
when searching This may be
for a vehicle. called an
invasion of
privacy
Electoral People Published, can People under 18 Contains
register registering to be used for cannot register people’s private
vote must checking to vote, and information
provide some of whether or not cannot be on
their details someone is the electoral
entitled to register
council tax or
preventing crime
Social media Investigators Social medias Can be used to Investigators
sites can use can be based in invalidate alibis,
may search a
software to any country, so association with private social
search and how and what persons and media account,
monitor a information can geolocation. this could be
person’s social be gained is considered a
media dependant on But social media breach of public
the relevant company needs trust.
country’s to cooperate
protocol
CCTV Surveillance Police access to Can verify CCTV is
cameras at or cctv should not events, location constantly
surrounding a be prevented and timeframes recording people
scene can be without their
used to identify Camera quality consent, they
persons or may not be are often in hard
establish good enough for to spot areas.
actions, location accurate
and timeframe identification
Phone tapping Investigators Wiretap order Can be used to Intrusion of
can listen to must be given, obtain privacy
phone calls the suspect information that
should be may not be
