What are the primary functions of the initial police responders?
- Attend the scene at an early stage
- Take control of situation
- Co-ordinate tasks
What is the first thing to consider when undertaking a course of action at a serious crime scene?
Every person who undertakes a course of action at a serious crime scene must first consider what risks may exist
The actions of first responding Police have a critical effect on an investigation and on the potential for gathering evidence. List the points in the general investigation model that should be applied in all cases?
VAWSEEPO
V - identity and locate the victims
A - initial appreciation of the incident. Assess personal risk then preserve life of others
W - locate and contain witnesses
S - preserve the scene e.g set boundaries
E - note evidence and preserve exhibits that would be lost or destroyed
E - consider if elements have been established
P - consider powers available and whether to execute
O - identify and apprehend offender
What are 4 benefits of applying appreciation technique?
- informs all police what they are expected to achieve
- increases chance of success I.e. the investigative aims/objective being met
- establishes a sequence of activities to be carried out
- manages risk
- reduces uncertainty
- eliminates duplication
- ensures nothing is overlooked
- effective use of resources
What steps to take when conducting an appreciation?
AFCO
Aim - short one line statement which succinctly demonstrates a single objective
Factors - A factor is any circumstance or fact that could possibly have an effect on the manner in which you will achieve your desired outcome
Courses open - are a list of possible ways the aim could be achieved
Plan - a proposed course of action designed to put the selected course into action to achieve the desired aim
What are the 2 main purposes for police attending scene of any death?
- Investigate thoroughly
- Gather sufficient evidence to satisfactorily explain the circumstances of the death
What information should you gain from the informant/complainant at the scene of a serious offence who will assist the investigation?
- identify and location of suspect
- a first hand account of what they know
- precise details of location of the scene
- circumstances leading to discovery
- identify of victim
- details of anyone else at the scene
- full contact details of informant/complainant
- demeanour of informant/complainant
- relationship of c/i to victim/suspect
- details of actions taken by c/i
- details of hazards/safety issues that may affect police approaching scene/victim
What can you ask of c/i where they may be a delay in police arrival?
- Return to proximity of scene and guard it if safe to do so
- Not to enter obvious boundaries of scene
- Not to touch or move anything
- Prevent others from entering or touching
- Await police and identify themselves
What should initial action police take note when having initial contact with the c/i?
- What they say
- Their clothing
- Their demeanour
What is first priority when conducting a risk assessment at the scene of a serious incident?
- Ensure the safety of attending police members
- Next is establish victim condition
2.1 Alive and uninjured
2.2 Alive but injured
2.3 Shows no signs of life
Upon arrival at a hospital, what steps should you follow in regard to the victim?
- Obtain medical opinion to the victims medical condition
- Seize clothing and other possessions as evidence
- Establish victim identity
- Obtain a pre-transfusion blood sample
- Seize discarded bandages used to cover gun shot wounds and record positions of where bandages were applied
- Arrange DNA swabs to be taken from victims skin
- Obtain details of persons who visit or contact victim
- Conduct scoping interview - consider recording if they might die
- Note/photo injuries
Upon initial arrival, the victim shows no signs of life. What steps should you take?
- Consider ambulance or resuscitation. If victim has been moved for this purpose, record that.
- Remain with body until relieved by CIB or supervisor
- Arrange a doctor to pronounce life extinct unless death is obvious
- Treat victim as scene
- Instruct medical staff to leave clothes on body and any medical equipment to be left in situ
- Conduct scoping interviews with medical staff who treated the victim
- Ascertain if victim spoke to anyone before death
- Record body position, lividity, obvious injuries, and clothing
- Objectively record everything observed using all sense
- Record all exhibits
- Sketch a plan including the positions of the body and exhibits
- Provide full information to the OC investigation at an early stage
Explain common approach path
A path used for all movements into and out of the scene which avoids any route possibly taken to and from the scene by the suspects or victim.
A path in which to get from A to B in a crime scene with the least amount of disruption to the scene itself.
This will be the only way attending staff will travel once at or in the scene.
Obtaining forensic evidence from a witness at a scene. What action interviewing police should take prior to interview and state types of physical evidence that may be present.
- Some witnesses have been so proximate to events that may have evicence transferred to them from victim, suspect or scene itself.
- Before interview, preserve physical evidence such as fibres, bodily fluids, glass, other material.
Initial police arrive at stabbing incident where the victim has serious injuries and is anticipated to die. A verbal statement is taken from the victim. Under S18(1)(a) of the Evidence Act 2006, how can police satisfy statement is admissible?
- The nature of the statement
- The contents of the statement
- The circumstances relating to the making of the statement
- Circumstances relating to the veracity of the person AND
- Circumstances relating to the accuracy of the observation of person
Police who arrive at a serious crime scene should identify, preserve, and record the scene. What actions should Police take to preserve the scene upon initial arrival?
- Identify and preserve the scene (freeze, control, guard and preserve):
- Carry out an initial assessment of the scene
- Use a common approach path
- Clear the scene
- Arrange and brief scene guards. Ensure crime scene logs are used
- Establish adequate cordon parameters
- If no immediate life is at risk, consider using stepping plates
- Protect fragile exhibits and any exhibit exposed to the element
- Call for assistance/resources as necessary
- Make appropriate records, i.e. who, what, where, when, why, how
- Sketch plan/initial photographs of the scene
- Make accurate records and report them to OC investigation as soon as possible
What action must police staff at the scene of a serious crime take if the media are present?
- If members of the media are present at the scene, keep them away from the immediate crime scene cordon and make no comment about the incident.
- Consult with OC investigation on arrival and explain what has happened, identify media members and where they are located.
You are the first at the scene of a homicide and you are advised that the suspect is still present. What should be your first priority in relation to the suspect?
The identification, apprehension and isolation of the suspect are priority. Locating the suspect quickly can provide the investigation with forensic and other evidence that may otherwise be lost.
You are the first at the scene of a homicide and you are advised that the suspect is still present. What are the 4 steps that you should follow?
- Separate suspects from other persons at the scene
- Consider the condition of the suspect, whether they are injured or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or suffer from a medical or mental impairment or other such condition
- Ask them to remain at the scene and to cooperate with police. ASAP remove suspect from the scene
- If suspect refuses to cooperate consider whether grounds exist to arrest and the most appropriate offence
- To prevent cross contamination issues, consider using officers who have not entered the scene to manage the suspect
- Caution the suspect if required
- Consider searching the suspect and the suspect’s vehicle and belongings
- Consider searching the vicinity of the suspect and the area or route they are thought to have taken
- Note the suspect’s appearance and behaviour
- Record everything the suspect says and consider a preliminary interview if appropriate
- Brief the OC investigation on their arrival, highlighting any significant risks surrounding cross contamination or movement within or near the scene.
