NCJ Number
183082
Editor(s)
Ellen S. Boyne
Date Published
2000
Length
901 pages
Annotation
The primary goal of this text is to present the fundamentals of criminal investigation and shed light on their application to some of the more important felonies.
Abstract
Other goals of the text are to help the general reader understand how police detective work should be performed and to demystify the criminal investigation process. The first section covers the foundation and principles of criminal investigation. Chapters examine responsibilities and attributes of criminal investigators, physical evidence, people as a source of information, investigative uses of records and files, the use of interviews to obtain information from witnesses, the cultivation and motivation of informants, surveillance, eyewitness identification, and interrogation. The second section applies criminal investigation principles to homicide, robbery, rape and other sex crimes, burglary, and arson. The third section deals with specialized criminal investigations related to terrorism, computer and communications technology, enterprise crime (organized, economic, and white collar), and automobile-related crime. The final section of the text discusses such specialized topics as managing criminal investigations, control over criminal investigations through constitutional law, evidence and effective testimony, cults and ritual crime, and raids. Appendixes contain additional information on criminal investigation procedures. References, figures, and photographs