NCJ Number
45804
Journal
POLICIA ESPANOLA Volume: 15 Issue: 188 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1977) Pages: 40-44
Date Published
1977
Length
5 pages
Annotation
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR A DEFINITION OF CRIMINOLOGY ARE SET FORTH, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF VISUAL INSPECTION AS AN ASPECT OF CRIMINOLOGY IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH ONE OF THE BASIC GOALS OF CRIMINOLOGY IS TO SOLVE THE ENIGMA OF ANTISOCIAL OR CRIMINAL CONDUCT, THERE IS NO CLEAR-CUT DEFINITION OF CRIMINOLOGY PER SE, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW CRIMINOLOGY SHOULD BE ORGANIZED TO BE BETTER STUDIED. IN TRYING TO DEFINE THE TERM, THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE INCLUDED: BIOLOGICAL CRIMINOLOGY, WHERE THE PERSONALITY OF THE DELINQUENT IS STUDIED IN RELATION TO THE CRIME BY EXAMINING HEREDITARY AND PHYSICAL FACTORS; AND SOCIAL CRIMINOLOGY, WHERE CRIME IS ANALYZED AS A SOCIAL PHENOMENON, AND AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO BRIDGE THE CRIME WITH SOCIAL STRUCTURES, SUCH AS POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC SYSTEMS. AMONG THE MANY DEVELOPMENTS IN CRIMINOLOGY, OR CRIMINALISTICS, THE MOST IMPORTANT SEEMS TO BE THE ISSUE OF CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE. TO BE ABLE TO SEE AND RECOGNIZE SIGNS LEFT AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME IS CRUCIAL TO INVESTIGATIONS. THE POLICE PRACTICE OF VISUAL INSPECTION HAS AS ITS GOAL TO PROVE THE EXISTENCE OF THE ACCIDENT OR CRIME, IDENTIFY THE PERPETRATORS, AND DEMONSTRATE THE GUILT AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE PARTIES INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. THE BASIC OPERATIONS OF A VISUAL INSPECTION ARE ANALYSIS OF PREVIOUS FACTS (WITNESSES, FACTS LEADING TO THE EVENT), INSPECTION OF THE SITE AND VICTIM, AND THE COLLECTION OF COMPLEMENTARY EVIDENCE (PHOTOGRAPHS, THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE, REPORTS). THERE ARE ALSO TWO TYPES OF VISUAL INSPECTION: JUDICIAL, WHEREBY ALL CRIMES THAT TAKE PLACE WITHIN A CERTAIN JURISDICTION SHOULD BE INSPECTED AND SUBSTANTIATED AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME BY THE POLICE, OR SOMEONE EQUALLY QUALIFIED: AND TECHNICAL--ALL TECHNICAL INSPECTIONS SHOULD BE DONE BY SPECIALISTS, PREFERABLY BY A SCIENTIFIC DIVISION OF THE POLICE. FINALLY, A GOOD VISUAL INSPECTOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE TYPE OF DELINQUENT THAT HAS COMMITTED THE CRIME AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME (PICKEPOCKET, MURDERER. NEITHER A BIBLIOGRAPHY NOR REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. --IN SPANISH. (INL)