Course Objectives:

This course is designed for new investigators and patrol officers. The course provides a basic foundation of information and knowledge on the basic tools and skills necessary for a criminal investigation.

Rules of Evidence

Probable Cause, Exclusionary Rule, Terry Stop, 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments, Legal Standing and Brady Rule.

Search and Seizure
Expectation of privacy, 7 exceptions to a search warrant, motor vehicle searches, Terry searches , home searches and how to write and obtain a search warrant.

Search Warrants

How to write a search warrant, elements of a search warrant, probable cause affidavit, reasonable particularity requirement, curtilage, good faith, return of service and search warrant examples.

Crime Scene Protocols

Types of crime scenes, inner & outer perimeters, 5 most destructive elements to a crime scene, crime scene photography, evidence collection, crime scene security, crime scene sketch and search techniques.

Follow-up Investigation

Records checks, crime reconstruction, crime timeline, case check list, case notes, case assignments, case management and case screening.

Case Management

Case screening, police/prosecutor relations, case audits, briefings and investigative plan.

Report Writing

3 C’s of a good report, report composition, introduction, body of the report, conclusion and the 3 elements of report review

Photo Lineup

Simultaneous lineup, sequential lineup, live lineup, photo lineup composition, photo lineup admonishment, double blind showing and one on one lineups.

Interview and Interrogation

Miranda Warning, interviewing juveniles, interview setting, interview room, profile of a successful interview, Interviewing techniques, collecting information, the “dont's" of interviewing, documenting interviews, telephone interviews, confrontation calls, the cognitive interview, memory retrieval techniques, distinguishing truthful and deceptive responses, 7 steps to a confession and false confessions.