Unit 6B Assignment: Investigative Procedures, resources and interviewing
Scientific and criminal investigation process at the crime scene
Within a criminal investigation, there are many steps to reach the end goal of a crime being
presented at court and giving the offender a reasonable conviction and to seek justice for the
victim. Within the first stages of the crime being reported, there is an overlap of the criminal
investigation and the scientific investigation.
Whilst each stage of an investigation process is crucial, there are possible problems which
can occur, it can affect how the course of the investigation goes and risks jeopardising the
whole case. So, each agency involved tries to avoid any disturbances or errors which might
arise.
The first stage of the criminal investigation will be the 999 emergency phone call which the
victim or witness would have reported, that alerts the police. The phone call will be made
through the emergency services, where a recording from the first responding 999 call
handler would have assessed the urgency of the situation. The relevant services will then be
contacted, the first responding dispatch will be the police.
The officer in response to the scene will need to be given a detailed picture of what has
happened, to assess the risks, and the actions they will or may need to take. This
information would be given to the police officer by the call handler. Other information the
officer can gather will include the incident that has occurred, the parties involved, and assess
the level of risk when taking on this crime.
This part of the investigation allows the first responding officer to understand as much
possible information as the relevant case. This better prepares the officer for the situation
they are going to, and the most responsible way to handle it. When an officer is dispatched
to a scene, they rely on the information given to them by the call handler. In doing so, they
understand as much information about the scene of the crime, who is involved, the parties at
the scene and if they have weapons. Without this information, the officer(s) will be unaware
of the severity of this case, and could be arriving at a very dangerous scene.
Upon arriving at the scene, the police officer must assure that no more harm will come to the
victim or anyone else who is at the scene. The officer must be able to access what currently
is happening around them, and make a judgement on how they should next take action to
prevent any injury or harm to themself, the victim or anyone at the scene. Regardless of the
information they have been given, they must be aware of their surroundings as they may not
have enough information to be exactly sure of what they are approaching. So, with every
decision, the officers must be cautious.
When an officer is approaching a property, they must guarantee they have legal access to
the property. They must consider that the victim or perpetrator might deny them access into
the property. If this occurs, the officer should assess why they are being denied access. After
assessing the reason behind why they might be denied access to the property, if the officer
has reason to believe someone may be in danger, they are allowed to enter the property
,under Section 17 of the PACE Act. When the officer approaches the property, they must
make sure they have successfully assessed the risks to themselves or another person. This
is a crucial step in this process. Without guaranteeing everyone's safety, there is an
increased risk that the victim may be further harmed or intimidated into giving unreliable
information, or allowing the perpetrator to escape the property. Additionally, it allows the
investigators to see the extent of the harm caused to the person, how many people have
been harmed and how their actions might jeopardise the crime scene or lead to further harm.
Without being given the right to enter a property or have reason to do so, any evidence or
information which would be gathered from the crime scene, could be seen as admissible as
it could be argued it was collected illegally.
Before cordoning the scene, the first responding officer must make an immediate
assessment as to any additional emergency services to be required. For example, if
someone is in vital need of medical attention, the corresponding services will be contacted
and dispatched. This is important as the officer can determine who needs medical attention
and what may be considered as evidence, this early on in the investigation. If the victim is
injured badly, and needs medical attention, they become one of the main focus to protect the
investigation, and the evidence at the scene, whilst securing the victims right to life. This part
of the investigation, whilst it may seem small, guarantees anyone in need can receive the
appropriate medical attention. They could be an important witness in giving information
about the crime, so they are a priority. Without the witnesses information, the whole case will
have a knock on effect.
The first responding officer will make sure to contact the necessary teams and will call for
their dispatch, such as the SOCO’s. They must note down if there were any disturbances to
the crime scene. They must also determine if any CCTV footage is present in the area, and
this must be collected and used in court as evidence. Whilst the necessary persons are
dispatched, the officer must record notes of the witnesses names and who may have
entered at the scene. Suspects and witnesses must be separated and the officer must listen
to the suspects and witnesses attentively, recording key details. They should take notes
about the scene's condition as it was upon their arrival, and after the scene had been
cordoned off. This means that any changes within the scene have been identified, and must
be considered when the case is brought to court. Along with this, it gives the officer an
opportunity to take in the events of the crime and determine a conclusion of the events at an
early stage.
Whilst the SOCO’s will produce their own scientific risk assessment document, the first
responders must do the same. They must identify any risks when they arrive at the scene to
protect anyone from harm until the SOCO’s and the investigators arrive. They must conduct
an initial risk assessment which must then be given to the investigators upon their arrival
along with the witness statements. This part of the investigation is crucial as it identifies any
risks to the officer, the dispatch services upon their arrival and the parties at the scene. It
also allows the first responder to call for other emergency services if it's required, such as
bomb squads or the fire department. By completing this assessment, the officer becomes
aware of possible dangers to themselves, the parties on site and those being dispatched. It
allows everyone on the scene to be more aware of their surroundings, and can prevent any
unnecessary obstacles within the analysis of the crime scene.
, They will cordon off a large area of the crime scene to ensure all the evidence can be
investigated and examined. In order to cordon off a location, the first attending officer must
approach the scene with care, methodically and strategically, so the scene has limited
disturbances. Once the scene’s perimeter has been covered, they can cordon the area.
They must ensure there is one entrance and exit for authorised persons, additionally, this
minimises access to unauthorised people.
Making sure the crime scene hasn't been disturbed by unauthorised personnel is one of the
most crucial parts of an investigation. By protecting the scene, it prevents the risk of
evidence being devalued in court, and the evidence they can collect has been untouched, or
if otherwise, has been identified and been notified to the SOCO team upon their arrival. If the
scene hasn’t been immediately cordoned off, the crime scene is at risk of unauthorised
access, damage to evidence and other possible disturbances. This contradicts evidence
continuity and custody, as the evidence’s reliability and authenticity could be questioned
throughout the ongoing investigation. This can create an ongoing knock on effect, which may
then lead to evidence being admissible due to its lack of reliability. Whilst this is an issue for
the forensic part of the investigation, disturbances and contamination to the crime scene has
a knock on effect to the criminal investigation process. The disturbances to the crime scene
may lead the police investigators to a completely different picture of the events, and could
wrongly astray them to an incorrect conclusion.
When the investigator is at the scene, they must remain unbiased, and they cannot draw
conclusions about the perpetrator. There may be evidence which matches an eye witness
statement that could suggest how the perpetrator entered the scene etc. However, the
investigator must remain impartial. Until all the evidence is collected and has been analysed,
they can not place a suspect at the scene and conclude they are the perpetrator. It must be
considered, that whilst the scene may look a certain way, that there could be another reason,
completely irrelevant to this case. The investigator can piece together the events they
believe have occurred, but this cannot be confirmed until all evidence has been analysed
and the forensic scientist has concluded their scientific findings in relation to the events
which occurred.
By remaining impartial to determining the primary perpetrator, the investigator is fully aware
that the situation they have entered may be difficult to deal with. So, it's important for them to
approach the scene with a clear mind, and only come to conclusions of what happened at
the scene when they have a full picture. If the investigator comes to a conclusion of the
scene, based on their judgement, the way in which the case is addressed could be altered.
This could cause a problem within the investigation if the perpetrator is making counter
allegations against the victim, and the officer believes this due to their own personal bias.
Furthermore, the investigators could disregard certain evidence, as it no longer fits into their
biassed conclusions of the case.
Once the SOCO teams have arrived at the scene, ensure they are fully equipped with PPE
including a bunny suit, shoe covers, gloves and a mask per person. PPE protects the
investigators from harmful substances, such as: bodily fluids or sharp objects (weapons).
Prior to entering the scene and beginning the investigation, SOCO must complete a
thorough risk assessment. To complete a risk assessment, they must identify any obvious
