Criminal Investigations

By Author: Anthony W Bills
Total Articles: 158
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Criminal Investigations
Introduction
Criminal investigation can be regarded as an official effort of trying to uncover any information regarding a certain crime. In general, there are three ways a person can be brought to justice for committing a crime including; through personal confession, through being caught in an act or through investigation and the conclusion and the information achieved identify him as a suspect of the crime after which the person is convicted and upheld for a trial.
In most cases, there are two motives the officials do have, that are to know who committed the crimes and what was the motive of committing the crime. Motive is the reason why the person breaks the law. Motive is not identified after catching the criminal, but is first identified so as to help in tracking the perpetrator. Motive is suspected or known before the criminal is caught, especially in crimes like kidnapping and murder. On the other hand, there could be confession or a note left by the criminal to tell on the reason why the crime has been committed. Criminal investigations are often conducted by police (Public ...
... investigators) or hired investigators (Private investigators) and after catching the criminal they bring them to books (Swanson et al, 1996).
Criminal Investigators
A criminal investigator is a law enforcement professional who investigates, identify and detain crime suspects and also try to prevent future instances of crimes and criminal activities. The professional may work alone or may work as group to uncover the fact about different cases of crimes. The investigator may gather his information through analyzing evidences that are collected from the crime scenes and also through conducting interviews with different people who might help in gathering evidence. Through the difference in criminal activities and they all require unique approaches, they also demand for different specializations of the investigators (Swanson et al, 1996).
The experts who work through analyzing the crime scenes are often laboratory technicians and technologists who can get the information through analyzing the information received from the crime scene. The scene investigators may get their evidence through collecting data like the weapon that was used, clothing samples and fingerprints. The investigators normally bring the evidence and analyze in the laboratories. They write their report and in most cases they appear in courts as witnesses based on the report they collect. They may also conduct a DNA where necessary to authenticate and support their evidence.
On the other hand, there are those public investigators that need to make a follow up for some time in order to arrest the criminal. For example, if the criminal commits a murder and leaves the city for another city, the investigators may gather all the information that would help them track the criminal to the exact place they are (Swanson et al, 1996).
Crime investigations are either done by public investigator or a private investigator depending on the will of the victim or next of kin. There are several reasons why each is preferred in different cases (Douglas& Ressler, 1997).
Public Investigators
Public investigators are government agents and police officers who assist mostly in criminal investigations. They represent the sovereignty of the government whose authority is vested in constitutional, statutory and case laws. Public investigators specialize in specific areas of concentration depending on their department. They are privileged to have ready access to classified government information about the suspects, they also can share investigation leads with their fellow investigators. A public investigators’ job allows them to carry firearms they have access to investigative equipments. They are able to command respect from the public based on the different credentials they adorn (Douglas& Ressler, 1997).

Private investigators
A private investigator, mostly abbreviated as PI is person who is hired by an individual or a group to undertake investigatory services. In some cases, they may work for the attorneys in civil cases. There are different places the private investigators work including in the insurance companies to investigate on the suspicious claims. On the other hand, they are also hired to investigate an infidelity in marriage incase one of the partner files for divorce. Despite of having no legal backing and grounds, private investigations have remained to be the most profitable business especially in marriages where there is suspecting of bad behavior or cheating in marriage (Douglas& Ressler, 1997).
Most jurisdictions require the private investigators to be licensed to carry firearms though it depends on the local laws. Most of the investigators either worked in police, military, spies or in federal agents and thus they have the knowledge of handling firearms and are aware of the rules that govern the usage of firearms. Private investigators are not allowed to put the suspect in custody even if they are absolutely sure that they are the criminals who did a certain crime. In this regard, they are supposed to corroborate with the public investigators so as after they catch the suspect, the public investigator can arrest the suspect. The private investigators must be very careful on the limits of their work or else they may be arrested and be charged as a criminal for kidnapping if they hold anyone in custody. On the other hand, private investigation may require working on odd hours if required to perform surveillance (Douglas& Ressler, 1997).
Similarities
In both cases, they engage in convert surveillance in order to expose any criminal activity. They may do this through installing surveillance equipment or other equipments or spies in order to collect evidence and information that would reveal the truth about the crime either that was committed or would be committed by either a suspicious company or an individual. They both follow the suspects recording their where about, their conversations and also their moves. The investigator may also work through tracking phone calls and also through conducting internet searches on the background and the literature of such crime.
In both cases, when the criminal is detained, the investigator interrogates him and tries finding more information. The investigators also interview witnesses and other people who may have knowledge on what is happening and may have some facts about the crime or the suspect. After the investigators get a search warrant, the may proceed to searching of the suspects home, businesses and offices to establish any information that may help in proceeding with the investigation. The searches in most cases reveal new evidences such as stolen items, documents about the crime, weapons that may confirm the suspect is the real person who committed the crime or may be part of those who committed the crime (Douglas& Ressler, 1997).
Differences between public and private investigators
What is the difference between private and public? They are both difference of each other. Those working and employed by the government are public investigators and those who are employed by individuals to perform some duties are private investigators. Their differences include;
• Private investigators, unlike the public investigators, they don’t have ready access to information about people like the public investigators
• The position of a private investigator does not guarantee him regality of carrying weapon like gun
• Private investigators pay for their working equipment of which some are relatively expensive while the public investigator does not pay for their equipments.
Identify sources of information, both unique and common, to each sector
In both the private and public investigators, the major source of information is from the public. They interact with the public and tries to seek whether they can gather any information to help them establish the motives of crime and also to identify the criminal. The other source of information is through surveillance. The investigators may use different instruments or follow-ups to try gather the information through recording conversations, monitoring the moves and also interrogating the suspect (Moenssens & Starrs, 1995).
Explain scientific methods used by both sectors to investigate crimes
Polygraph test is the famous scientific method that is used in crime investigation. The test includes the psychophysiological detention of deception (PDD) examination. The use of the method has been in the rise of usage especially in the US where it invented. The devise has gained popularity in different parts of the world. Contrary, the Scotland Yard, which is one of the most famous investigatory firms, does not use the polygraph (Moenssens & Starrs, 1995).
Identify challenges or potential issues of investigations that cross jurisdictions
In some cases, the investigators may be required to hold the criminal or the suspect especially when the suspect realizes that he is being followed. This may be challenging especially for a private investigator because it’s against the law for a private investigator to catch or hold anyone because it can be regarded as kidnapping which can be charged in a court of law. On the other hand, lack of these rights jeopardize the investigators work because a suspect can move to other locations thus leaving the investigator with only evidence and no one to try.

Bibliography
Douglas, B. & Ressler (1997) Crime Classification Manual: A Standard System For Investigating and Classifying Violent Crimes, Jossey-Bass Publishers
Moenssens, I & Starrs, (1995) Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases, (4th Edition) Foundation Press, Mineola, NY:
Swanson, Chamelin, and Territo (1996) Criminal Investigation, (Sixth Edition) McGraw Hill Co., New York

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