NCJ Number
61693
Journal
Security Management Volume: 23 Issue: 10 Dated: (OCTOBER 1979) Pages: 49-50,52
Date Published
1979
Length
3 pages
Annotation
PROCEDURES TO GUIDE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE ENUMERATED, WITH EMPHASIS ON GATHERING, ORGANIZING, AND EVALUATING SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE.
Abstract
MOST IMPORTANT DETAILS TO AN INVESTIGATOR ARE MODIFIERS THAT TELL THE WHEN, WHERE, HOW, AND WHY OF A CASE. EVERY ACTION OCCURS AT A SPECIFIC TIME AND IN A SPECIFIC LOCATION AND TRANSPIRES IN A CERTAIN MANNER. WHEN HUMAN BEINGS ARE INVOLVED, A CONSCIOUS OR SUBCONSCIOUS MOTIVE MAY BE IDENTIFIED. HOLOGICS IS THE PROCESS OF LOGICALLY FINDING UNKNOWN PIECES OF INFORMATION IN THE WHOLE PICTURE. SIX PRINCIPLES GUIDE THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS BASED ON HOLOGICS: (1) THE FEWER THE NUMBER OF PIECES KNOWN IN THE WHOLE PICTURE OR HOLPIC, THE GREATER THE NUMBER OF POSSIBLE PIECES THAT CANNOT BE RULED OUT; (2) A VARIETY OF HOLPICS CAN BE CONSTRUCTED FROM ONLY A FEW KNOWN PIECES; (3) POSSIBLE HOLPICS ARE LIMITED ONLY BY EXPERIENCE AND IMAGINATION; (4) PARTS OF A HOLPIC INCLUDE A SUSPECT, DAMAGE, AND VICTIME; (5) ALL HOLPICS INVOLVE SECONDARY RELATIONSHIPS OF TIME, PLACE, MANNER, AND MOTIVE; AND (6) ALL HOLPICS LEADING TO FINAL CONCLUSIONS ARE COMPATIBLE. RULES TO FOLLOW IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE SIX PRINCIPLES, ARE TO ASSUME THE USUAL, ESTABLISH ALIBIS FOR POSSIBLE SUSPECTS, PREFER SIMPLE EVIDENCE, SEEK LIMITERS, STUDY THE CRIME SCENE, PURSUE LEADS, REALIZE THAT MULTIPLE SIGNS REDUCE UNCERTAINTY, AND PROVE THE EXISTENCE OF PARTS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN A HOLPIC TO PROVE THE ACCURACY OF THAT HOLPIC. A CRIME CHART THAT INCORPORATED SUSPECT, DAMAGE, AND VICTIM FACTORS IS INCLUDED. (DEP)