The scenario as given is a true representation of the typical day to day encounters of crimes by the detectives. The scenario depicts the crime of Burglary (House Breaking) which can generally be defined as the breaking and entering a house or dwelling or building or residence with the intent to commit a crime. However, the different Criminal Codes of the States of the United States of America have various variations of the definition of Burglary and/or Housebreaking. Sneaky Peat broke into Alison Collins’ house and left with a laptop, iPod and other things which perfectly fall within the definition of burglary or housebreaking in all the Criminal Codes of the States.
It has been argued that it is how the first officer responds or arrives at a crime scene that determines how useful that crime scene would be in the criminal justice system. The role of the first officer on the scene, which in the scenario was Officer Butler, was to find out if there was any person in potential danger or any person injured whom he or she was to assist accordingly then seal off the crime scene to prevent any contamination of evidence. Considering that the crime scene was partly indoor and partly outdoor, sealing off the crime scene involved the outdoor part from contamination by curious onlookers and passers-by and the indoor crime scene from the occupants of the subject premises; in this case Alison Collins and/or any of her family members and friends who may have visited after the crime had taken place. After sealing off the crime scene, the first detective is to call in the matter to have the Crime Scene Search Unit dispatched immediately considering that some form of evidence may not be viable after prolonged delays.
Immediately after calling in the situation, the first officer at the crime scene should record as much details as possible of the scene including taking unobtrusive photographs of the crows gathering around the scene and the other people around if possible. It is important for the first officer who responds to the crime scene to share all information, including all the recorded information with the detectives. However, the information shared should be limited to the fact as opinions may misguide the detectives. Sharing the information is important as it guides the detectives on how to conduct their investigations and she should respond to the questions posed by the investigators as strictly as possible to the exact questions asked and to the best of her knowledge and recollection. It is sometimes not possible to record every detail in the crime scene but she may remember particular details which she may not have recorded but may have a positive impact on the investigations.
The role of the lead detective in the investigation is to oversee the whole process of investigations though he or she may take part directly in the processes of collecting evidence. His or her roles inter alia are collecting evidence and piecing up information, interviewing witnesses, subpoenaing witnesses and suspects and testifying in court. In the scenario, the lead detective would interview Officer Butler, Allison Collins, Mr Mitchel and work with Detective Stephanie Mullins to unravel the mystery behind the crime towards building the case against the suspect in question. The lead detective is also to interview other neighbours to Allison Collins just to find out if any other person could have witnessed the crime. He should then proceed with the investigations after getting all the information relevant from the persons he interviewed including getting a description of the perpetrator of the crime. He would dispatch the same information to the police department to be on the lookout for persons matching the description obtained from Mr Mitchel; then he would have the evidence collected from the crime scene analysed and identify the perpetrator of the crime or be able to match the evidence samples to the apprehended suspects or use the information obtained to search for the perpetrator of the crime.
The Crime Scene Search Unit plays a major role in the investigations because its agents do the work of collecting and processing samples and items to be used as evidence in the case against the accused person. Detective Stephanie Mullins and her forensic team can preserve evidence by collecting the evidence carefully and putting them individually in plastic tins and bags and properly labelling where the evidence was collected from and which agent collected it. Evidence can also be preserved by processing some of it while at the scene; evidence such as fingerprints on the mirror can be processed at the scene. The evidence that are relevant for collection in the scenario are the: fingerprints on the window, mirror, door handles and the medicine bottles, drops of the blood at the window and on the floor inside, boot prints outside the window and possibly hair strands at the window. Detective Stephanie Mullins should answer the questions posed to her strictly based on the evidence collected and the analysis inferred therefrom.
Sneaky Peat has the right to remain silent, the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, the rights against making self-incriminatory statements and the right to be represented by a counsel as conferred upon him by the First to the Sixth Amendment rights and it is not mandatory for him to answer questions asked by the detective until such a time that his lawyer is present as a matter of right.
References
Boivin, R. (2013). On the Use of Crime Rates. Texas Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 263-278.
Herring, J. (2011). Criminal Law. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Miller, M. (2009). Forensic Science: An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques. New York: CRC Press LLC.
National Institute of Justice. (2013, January 12). Collecting DNA Evidence at Property Crime Scenes . Retrieved November 7, 2013, from National Institute of Justice: http://projects.nfstc.org/property_crimes/
National Science Forensice Technology Center. (2013). Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement . New York: National Science Forensice Technology Center.
United States Department of Justice. (2010). Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement Officers . Washington D.C.: United States Department of Justice.
