It is important to note that hypothesizing as to whom the suspects could be does not necessarily result in the loss of objectivity on the part of the investigator. This is more so the case if the hypothesis is based on an analysis of the motive and/or presence of physical evidence. Data collection on the other hand could include interviewing witnesses, interrogating a potential suspect, etc. Data interpretation could take the form of evaluating as well as reviewing evidence gathered at that point in time. A suspect can be arrested once there is sufficient evidence to charge him or her in a court or law. This allows for the drawing of conclusions. It is however important to note that the hypothetical example I highlight above in an attempt to relate the scientific method to criminal investigation is not standard.
Criminal Investigation: Primary Sources of Information
There are various sources of information for investigators. Osterburg and Ward (2010) identify three of these sources as: "people, physical evidence and, records." When it comes to people, it is important to note that this remains a major information source for an investigator. Information sources in this case could include but they are not in any way limited to informers, suspects, victims, witnesses etc. According to Osterburg and Ward (2010), given the social nature of human beings, information and crucial leads in an ongoing investigation about the possible involvement of an individual in a crime can also be sourced from business associates as well as relatives. As sources of information, witnesses can for example shed more light on what actually took place, how the suspect looked like, etc. When it comes to physical evidence as a primary source of information, Osterburg and Ward (2010) point out that "any object of a material nature is potential physical evidence." Towards that end, the authors give a list of physical evidence typical in a criminal investigation. This could include but is not limited to blood, bullets, narcotics, any kind of...
Criminal Investigation This analysis covers different questions on investigative practices and methods. It gives explanation to every question and at the same time gives example of how every question makes sense in practical application. The discussion will mainly dwell on the element of investigation in Criminal Investigation. We have different methods of inquiry; examples at their most basic level are interviews and interrogations, while on a specific level on a crime scene
Criminal Investigations: Changes in Cybercrime The rate at which internet usage is growing is expeditious. The World Wide Web is fast eliminating the physical borders that originally existed between nations and individuals, and rapidly transforming the world into a global village. The conduct of business has been made easier, and so has education, sports, communication, to mention but a few. Thanks to the internet, people located miles away from each other,
Both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. Congress are slowly coming to the realization that they will have to address this issue which the Bush administration left behind to muddy the waters of citizen privacy rights in combination with the cases that are presently awaiting an appeal in the appeal courts throughout the United States due to violation of their rights to privacy during search and seizures arrests. Bibliography Panetta, Toni
, 2007, p. 153). Conclusion The research showed that DNA evidence can be a valuable tool for the criminal justice system, but the effectiveness of such evidence depends on a number of factors. Among the more salient of these factors was the need to ensure that the DNA sample is collected and stored properly, and that it is transported to a testing facility in a timely and appropriate fashion. Other issues that
Criminal Psycholinguistics as a Predictor and/or Indicator of Criminality (rewritten for grammar) Language is used differently. Humans use it in many forms and in many means. As it represents someone's character, language helps everyone to perceive what kind of profile a person has. Thus, this brought the researcher to explore the psycholinguistics of criminals. In this thesis, the researcher will focus mainly on the collective study in determining a criminal based on
The criminal association principle suggests that being socialized to regard crime as acceptable or to admire criminals plays a role in the choices made in that regard. The fact that Pistone and Napolitano were actually raised in very similar circumstances where each had the same type of exposure to organized crime families illustrates that rational choice is more important than criminal association because Pistone made the conscious choice to
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now