The difficulty lies in the fact that the investigator must act in several directions at once: to reveal hidden facts, collect information, organize the actions of all competent persons in one direction. What follows is how they usually do this.
Criminal Investigation Plan
To achieve any goal you need a plan. When it comes to restoring the picture of the event, in which the person himself did not participate, the plan should have its own methods and subtleties.
Investigation planning is a necessary and very effective tool in solving crimes. He has tight deadlines and limited funds in his arsenal. It should involve informational, tactical, procedural and psychological strategies. The investigator is required both managerial and organizational skills.
Where does planning begin?
According to experts in this industry, the planning of an investigation begins with the mental construction of an algorithm for further actions. Despite the lack of initial data and the time for their formation, the investigator makes an approximate picture of what happened already at the stage of inspection of the scene. The following factors are taken into account:
- Detection of material evidence at the scene.
- Plan for overlapping escape routes.
- Combing the terrain.
- Search in hot pursuit and others.
After these measures are worked out, a multi-stage investigation planning on paper begins.
Stage number 1
At the first stage, the investigator needs to determine the main purpose of the investigation. Also, each component will consist of many intermediate goals. To build an action algorithm, the stages of investigation planning should be as detailed as possible. Small and concrete steps are being developed, questions are being asked about circumstances and persons involved in further verification of the data obtained.
Second phase
At this stage, logical and additional, indirect circumstances have to be distinguished. Additional versions are usually based on logical versions. In order not to waste time in the future and not repeat the same actions, you should immediately distribute them in stages.
The logical version is circumstances, the scene of the incident, people, a chain of events and other factors that are directly related to the crime. Additional versions are beyond the scope of these factors, but investigation planning and investigative situations necessarily test them. These include circumstances such as the psychological adequacy of the defendants, their age and social status, their past, characteristics of others and the like.
Stage number 3
Planning an investigation in stage three should evaluate technical resources. The investigator must carefully evaluate the amount of time, material and technical and information base for the investigation of the case. The time period established by law for clarifying circumstances and transferring materials to court is 5 days from the date of registration of the crime.
If it turns out that one or another resource is insufficient, then the investigator must attract additional resources or transfer the case to another investigator. He may also file a petition with a higher unit to extend the investigation.
Fourth stage
At this stage, a plan is being developed to conduct operational investigative, procedural and other activities. Keep in mind that any plan should have an alternative version. There may be several.
The forensic planning of an investigation requires the investigator to use his experience and knowledge. All efforts should be directed towards the most effective investigation. He must take into account that the investigation encounters an obstacle at each stage, based on unpredictability, more often on the negative mood of the defendants. You need to understand what the reaction and actions of each of the participants in the case will be, and to prevent their negative tactical consequences. For example, intentional misrepresentation, escape, refusal to cooperate with the investigation.
Fifth stage
Criminal investigation planning should have a clear time frame and those responsible. The fifth stage is assigned to these measures in which the performers of certain events will be determined. This step should answer the following questions:
- Whether the investigator himself will cope with the task or whether the participation of the investigation team is necessary.
- Is there a need for joint actions by the investigation team with the operational department.
- If so, at what specific events help is needed.
- If partial participation is required, then a variety of these investigative measures is determined.
The solution to all these issues is the responsibility of the investigator.
Additional factors at this stage
The effectiveness of these events depends entirely on the level of their organization. In particular, the algorithm of measures is of fundamental importance. Priority activities are as follows:
- Measures allowing to collect evidence base "in hot pursuit".
- General verification measures or episodes of crime.
- Investigative instructions.
- Operational Investigation.
- Revision and verification.
- Labor-consuming and lengthy measures: verification of financial documentation, study of construction, accounting and other documents.
- Forensic or forensic examination.
The choice of these types is not accidental. Prompt investigation of more complex and urgent measures increases efficiency and reduces time.
Sixth stage
The final part is devoted to combining all the previous steps. The general and episodic versions are combined, and the planning of the investigation takes on the final direction. At this stage, aspects of the collection of evidence have already been identified. Actions are reduced to the practical organization of investigative measures. Such necessary resources are formed as time, material base and responsible persons.
Investigation planning principles have priority parts. One of them is the rationality of the algorithm of actions and measures, which allows you to complete investigative measures by the deadline and with maximum efficiency.
Principles
To get the most out of your plan, the process must comply with the following principles:
- Consistency. Requires coordination of all parts of the plan. Tactical actions, activities, as well as an alternative plan should pursue one common goal. Intermediate objectives should also be consistent. To verify the existence of this principle, at the final stage, you should check all the points in the plan.
- The principle of reality requires that versions, both general and episodic, be as factual as possible. For this, the method of logical verification and comparison of evidence is used. The principle of reality also applies to the executive part of the plan. Every step, every action should be feasible. Miscalculations at this stage are fraught with the fact that the investigation may miss important details, trying to work out alternative versions.
- Concretization. This item does not tolerate details of each planning step. This is especially important if other people participate in the events. Everyone should understand what to do and when. Detailing on this part can slow down the whole process. But at the same time, detailed elaboration at the stage of building a plan will help determine priority areas of action.
- Dynamism requires consideration of the variability of investigative conditions. Often during the investigation, risk and conflict situations arise. Such facts are subject to immediate recording. The information obtained in the course of such facts should be recorded in full. But the tight deadlines and the dynamism of action does not negate the need for in-depth research. The purpose of the principle of dynamism is to warn that the investigative team needs flexibility, and in no case should new circumstances become an obstacle to the main goal.
- Other investigation planning principles require timeliness and personality. Timeliness is one of the key success factors of investigative measures. And individuality requires consideration of the crime with a look free from stereotypes and cliches. But at the same time, it does not prohibit the use of general provisions, universal methods or standard forms of information extraction.
In addition, there are a number of other principles, such as conformity to the form and content of the plan. But their independent significance is not great, they can be implemented within the framework of one of the above principles.
Kinds
The concept of investigation planning has several types. They are closely related to planning methods and goals.
- Formation of plans for each type of action. For example, for interrogation one plan, for conducting an investigative experiment - another.
- The development of tactical combinations.
- Tactical operation plan. This includes a plan to apprehend a suspect, identify the victims, or clarify the links between the people involved.
- Plans for each stage of the investigation. Usually there are three of them: initial, during the process and final.
- Formation of a plan under the criminal code. It is believed that this type of planning is suitable for simpler crimes, where you can clearly determine the further course of events.
Tactical operations
The concept of investigation planning attaches great importance to tactical actions. This phase should also be carefully planned. The following points should be reflected in it:
- Prioritization - what is the main task.
- Assessment of resources and comparison with the tasks.
- Options for events: investigative, search and preparatory.
- Appointment of responsible persons.
Individual action planning
Features of the planning of the investigation are that each stage consists of smaller tasks. In turn, small tasks should also be divided into paragraphs. Ultimately, this simplifies the whole process and helps other participants in investigative actions to easily navigate further actions. Investigative actions consist of three stages:
- Objectives of the action - what results are needed in the end.
- What are the technical and informational capabilities.
- The essence of the action is who should do what and for what time and expected results.
Investigation process
Once the organization and planning of the investigation is developed, the investigator can proceed directly to the process. The first step is an investigation. The purpose of this event is to investigate the traces of the crime and clarify the circumstances. This moment is regulated by the first part of Article 176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Information is reflected in the investigative report. The protocol should record data in two directions at once: traces of the crime and additional circumstances that may be indirectly related to it.
The following types are distinguished:
- Types of inspection. Types depend on the specific type of crime. For example, if a murder occurred, then objects, documents, and witnesses are examined. When it comes to robbing a room, not only housing, but also its surroundings are examined.
- Priority involves two stages: primary and repeated. At the initial stage, everything that is supposedly or specifically related to the event will be recorded. When re-inspection, the goal is to verify the objectivity of the data obtained as a result of the initial inspection. There is also a method in which at each stage the investigators can change. This excludes the factor of subjective gaze.
- The completeness of the inspected areas implies two types of inspection: primary and secondary. The first option explores the entire object, the second - its individual parts.
Inspection Tasks
The objectives of the inspection is to find answers to a number of key questions. These issues were identified at the planning stage of the investigation of crimes. The results of the inspection must either confirm them or refute them. Here is a list of important questions:
- Investigation of an event - has there been a crime?
- Is there any reliable evidence that the crime happened here?
- How did the criminal enter the premises / how did he get into this area? Depending on the answers, you can limit the inspection area.
- How many people were at the time of the crime? To answer this question, traces and objects are analyzed.
- What goals did the defendants pursue?
- The length of time the criminal is at the scene.
- What traces are left?
- What traces could remain on the clothes or body of the criminal?
- Who could be a witness?
This list is not exhaustive, but only shows the main tasks. Depending on the type of crime, on the circumstances and testimony, the investigator poses new questions and seeks answers to them.
Inspection is conducted by the investigator. As additional persons the interrogator and witnesses participate. If the investigator and the inquirer are obligatory participants, then there are exceptions for witnesses. They may not participate if the crime scene is far from the residential area, in an inaccessible place or there is a risk to human health and life.
In addition, optional participants may be involved. They help if necessary, the use of physical force. For example, to provide access to the scene. If it is a murder, then the composition is supplemented by experts and forensic doctors. Also, if necessary, witnesses, suspected persons or victims may be involved. The accused is involved in the inspection process in urgent cases, as there is a danger of information leakage, which may impede the objectivity of the investigation.