Appointment
Appointed by and responsible to OC Investigation. It is anticipated they will be a CIB supervisor of Detective Sergeant rank
Purpose
Responsible for supervising the members of the Suspects Team for the purpose of:
- Obtaining information about suspects and persons of interest
- Thoroughly profiling and investigating suspects to establish their involvement
- Seeking evidence to cover all elements of the offence
- Mitigating and dealing with possible defences
Management of Suspects Categories
- Identification and profiling
- Arrest/termination
- Interviewing
Determining Status of Suspect
Responsibility for determining the status of a person within the investigation whether as a suspect, person of interest, witness or victim rests with the OC Investigation. It would be incorrect for the OC Suspects to make a unilateral decision to attribute an individual with the status of a ‘suspect’ where time was available for the OC Investigation to make that determination, albeit in consultation with the OC Suspects.
Suspect
A person of interest who has gained added status because of a direct or indirect connection to the circumstances of the crime. Such a connection might relate to motive, opportunity or means.
Briefing Suspects Team
The first duty of the OC Suspects is to brief their suspects team members. To enable them to do this, the OC Suspects should analyse the information available such as witness statements, police reports and information from the scene. Their initial briefing should encompass:
- Circumstances of the offence including an analysis of the scene and witness evidence
- Full details of all persons of interest and any suspect
- Details of any descriptions of suspects by witnesses
- Whether any particular modus operandi/crime signatures have been identified
Briefings / Debriefs
The OC Suspects phase must regularly debrief their team members on the enquiries they have conducted and the results of these enquiries so that they can maintain a constant flow of information at conferences, between the members of the suspects team and other investigation staff. Priority information must be brought to the attention of the OC Investigation as necessary.
Identifying Suspects
- Area canvass
- Intelligence analysis
- Police nothings linking suspect to area/vehicle
- Fingerprints
- DNA
- Witness evidence
- CHIS
- Enquiries with external government agencies
FACES
Consideration for witnesses who saw a suspect to complete a FACES sketch. This is a computerised facial identification system used to compile likeness of an offender from the description supplied by the witness and it should be completed early, while details are fresh.
Using photographs of clothing or duplicates of property used by suspect may be utilised in a combination of ways:
- For release to the media
- To be used by investigators during an area canvass
- In the conduct of suspect enquiries
Photograph Board
Should be set up displaying photographs and details of suspects whom you have interviewed and who you wish to interview
Suspects Residence
- NIA enquiries
- Enquiries with local council to identify owner
- Conducting a reconnaissance of the area
- Surveillance monitoring the address
- Monitoring phones through production orders or surveillance device warrant
Trace, Interview, Eliminate (TIE) Enquiries
A TIE category is created by selecting a common characteristic shared by a group of people, which may include the offender. These group characteristics will depend of the circumstances of the crime but examples might include persons related to or associated with the victim, persons in the vicinity of the scene at the time for the offence or with access to the scene at the time of the offence.
Suspect Team must conduct elimination enquiries by tracing and interviewing persons who populate these TIE categories and where possible, eliminating them against a set of elimination criteria determined by the OC Investigation.
Arrest/Termination
Before arrest/termination, the OC Suspects must consult the OC Investigation regarding an arrest strategy to ensure:
- An investigator is appointed to be responsible for each suspect
- Decision to prosecute, choice of charges and prosecution
- Clarity on Police position of bail
- Family of deceased are updated through FLO
- Prompt preparation of prosecution file
Cross Contamination
Where more than one suspect is involved, an appreciation must be made regarding which staff are assigned to seize clothing from suspects. It is vitally important officers involved are fully aware of cross contamination issues where possible, seperate officers should be assigned to each suspect. Suspects must be kept apart including during travel in vehicles and when in cells. All clothing should be packaged, labelled and sealed in accordance with standard procedures before transfer to OC Exhibits.
Medical Examination
Police doctor is to examine the suspect. Doctor must: note any injuries, take samples of blood, saliva, head hair, pubic and body hair, fingernail scrapping, swabs of suspects hands and other relevant areas, swab hands for firearm residue, provide a professional opinion regarding the condition of the suspect.
Police Doctor must record any explanations or comments made by the suspect about the offence or the cause of any injuries. Photographs of the suspect and any relevant marks or injuries must be taken.
Medical Examination by Force
Reasonable force may be used to conduct the search for evidential material that is reasonably believed to be on the outside of the suspects body. The process and criteria that must be met to conduct a strip search of the suspect under section 88 of S&S2012.
Obtain Identifying Details
To confirm the identity of the suspect:
- fingerprints, footprints, palm prints, and blood for DNA analysis
- photographs of suspect: front face and profile, full body length from front and side, any injuries, any distinct or identifying features
- suspects handwriting
- record physical description of suspect
Psychiatric Evidence
OC Suspect to liaise with OC Investigation to determine whether a psychiatric examination of a suspect is required. Such an examination ill be required if the sanity or mental health of the suspect at the time the offence was committed, or at the time they are stand trial, is an issue.
OC Suspect should ensure evidence is obtained of suspects mental health at the time of the crime, and where they have a mental condition, whether the suspect is fit to plead.
The Police investigation should aim to establish whether the suspect understood the nature and quality of their actions and whether they realised the actions were morally wrong. This information may be useful in rebutting a defence of insanity, where it is unjustified.
Alibi’s
Responsibility of OC Suspects to make thorough enquiries to determine the veracity of the alibi and to fully report the result of these enquiries to the Crown Solicitor.
Alibi witnesses whose particulars have been advised in accordance with section 22 of the Criminal Disclosure Act 2008, must not be interviewed by police except at the request of the Crown Solicitor.
In investigation any alibi offered, OC Suspects must:
- make enquiries of people other than the persons who particulars have been supplied to confirm or rebut evidence in support of the alibi
- complete enquiries to establish where the suspect was at the time of the offence, who they were with and what they were doing
- wherever possible, corroboration of the alibi provided by the suspect should be sought from forensic or other sources that are independent of the suspect
