NCJ Number
79231
Date Published
1981
Length
214 pages
Annotation
This manual is intended to be a guide to court-approved methods of procuring evidence in criminal investigations.
Abstract
Included are detailed guidelines for obtaining evidence through interrogation, informants, search warrants, telephone inquiries, consent searches, undercover operations, and other investigative activities. In the section on interrogation, criminal behavior is discussed in the areas of thought process and lifestyle, and elements of interrogation, scientific approaches to questioning, and specific strategies for the successful interrogation of suspected criminals are described. The section on informants explains the proper use and control of informants in acquiring information of evidentiary value, especially in the areas of fencing and theft. Proven techniques for procuring valid information from informants are detailed, along with information necessary for clearing informants of crimes. Conflicts between police and attorneys regarding the use of informants and informant evidence are also discussed. The section on search warrant instrumentation presents the correct techniques for preparing affidavits for all evidence search warrants, whether related to crimes against persons or property. The use of the search warrant as a tool of investigation is described, and step-by-step procedures for the issuance and execution of search warrants are presented. The concluding section, which deals with police aids to criminal investigation, explains the use of telephone inquiries, consent searches, and undercover operations. The reference material provided throughout the book is based on actual felony crime investigations. The book should be of value to all city, county, State, and Federal law enforcement officers, students of police science, attorneys, law students, and private investigation agencies, as well as professionals in the fields of sociology and corrections. A subject index is provided. (Publisher's summary modified)