NCJ Number
179749
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 47 Issue: 10 Dated: October 1999 Pages: 83-87
Date Published
1999
Length
5 pages
Annotation
A study of the death investigation process in Jersey City, NJ, indicated that unregulated police discretion can lead to errors in death classifications and that procedural checks fall short of preventing mistakes, even though they provide some assistance.
Abstract
The Jersey City Police Department (JCPD) sends an officer on every DOA call. The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office conducts all investigative work on suspected homicides; the Regional Medical Examiner's office in Newark performs all autopsies and medical investigations. JCPD policy requires that the area be declared a crime scene whenever the death is suspicious. However, no Jersey City officer interviewed could recall ever having any official interpretation of the word suspicious. Officers may request a medical examiner and homicide response even if the mandatory response criteria do not apply. Officers agreed that the manner in which they presented a DOA made a significant difference in whether the medical examiner responded. The process of deciding whether to notify Homicide and how to structure the report to the medical examiner is highly individual. Officers varied in how they rank different factors in determining whether the cause of death was not natural. Ways to improve the death investigation process include ensuring adequate staffing of all agencies; officer training; and officer knowledge of the abilities and limitations of personnel from other agencies with whom the officer interacts. Table and photograph