Criminal Investigation

Midterm 1

Running header: Midterm

Unit 5 Midterm

Criminal Investigation

CJ210-02

Prof William Post

May 15,2012

Midterm 2

In criminal investigation the first method of inquiry is observation, in observing the crime scene you can get a scene of how the crime was committed, what was used to commit the crime and if the crime just happened or the suspect lay in wait for the victim. ( Rae, 2007) Another method is the Authority Method, that is taking the word of a reliable figure such as an eye-witness, informant, or snitch. The last method is the Intuition Method, which is believing something because it feels or seams correct, such as knowing which gang was involved in a shooting by the feeling you get at the crime scene. ( Rae, 2007) The first purpose of inquire is to ask a question, gather evidence and then make a determination, most inquires use the scientific methods but some are just a gut feeling that you have to go with. In making an inquiry you must ask who, what, where, when, how , and why in order to get an reliable answer. using one of the above methods should get you and reliable and provable answer. Rae, 2007)

The mindset of an investigator must be one of open-mindedness, looking only at the facts or information collected and of not letting personal biases influence their option. ( Osterburg, Ward, 2010) In any situation an investigator will bring his own personal feelings, standards, moral beliefs, and sense of right and wrong. A good investigator will put aside all personal tendencies and look only at the facts. Being able to put aside your own feelings about a crime, suspect, or verdict takes years of experience. ( Osterburg, Ward, 2010) An investigator must not take any part of the investigation personally, it can be difficult in the case of a crime against a child, a sex crime , or murder, but a good investigator will be able to do it. being able to control personal judgments is not mastered by...