Investigation and Arrest Chapter 7

Levels of Police in Canada Police force cost about $10 billion annually Included 64 000 police officers at 3 different levels : FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL/ TERRITORIAL, and MUNICIPAL Since 1970s, Aboriginal police forces serve Aboriginal communities (sensitive to the needs)

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) formed in 1873 as the North West Mounted Police RCMP or “Mounties” – federal police force Provincial police in all provinces and territories except Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Some provinces they serve as municipal police (Nunavut, Yukon, Northwest Territories) RCMP is responsible for all federal law under the Criminal Code as well as federal regulations Federal police

Federal police Border Integrity –customs, immigration, marine RCMP federal policing mandate 4 areas: Border Integrity –customs, immigration, marine Drugs and organized crime – drug enforcement branch International policing – international travel and visits branch Financial crime – proceeds of crime program Policing in the above areas is not done exclusively by the RCMP. Provincial and municipal police forces and other provincial and federal agencies often work together to enforce the law in these areas.

Provincial Police Jurisdiction in rural areas and unincorporated regions around cities Ex: Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Reminder: some provinces have the RCMP operating as the provincial police Some responsibilities: Respond to municipal police requests for special assistance in emergencies Traffic control on highways Provide investigative services on request

Municipal Police Jurisdiction over towns and cities Each municipality funds its own force Smaller communities that do not have municipal police use RCMP or provincial police Number of divisions that service the local community / “SQUADS” Gang Crime Unit, the Robbery Squad, the Homicide Squad, and the Explosives Disposal Unit

Municipal Police Municipal police officer’s duties: Preserving the peace Preventing crimes from occurring Assisting victims of crime Apprehending criminals Laying charges and participating in prosecutions Executing warrants

Aboriginal Police The First Nations Policing Policy is administered by the Department of the Solicitor General Provides partnership among the federal government, provincial/territorial governments, and Aboriginal peoples

Starting a police investigation 1- Arriving at the crime scene Location or site where the offence took place (CRIME SCENE) Officers arrive – 3 tasks Call an ambulance and assist injured people at the scene Call in reinforcements to help eliminate any hazards that still post a risk Search the crime scene, even if witnesses say the suspects have left

2- Protecting and Preserving the crime scene Success in prosecuting offenders depends on conditions of physical evidence Officers must accurately establish 2 boundaries: The centre of the crime scene (area which the offence was actually committed) and the perimeter (surrounding areas where the alleged offender may have been present of may have left evidence

If evidence is not managed properly, it can become contaminated – loss, destruction, or alteration of physical evidence (may not be admissible in court) One way to preserve and protect evidence is to document the scene carefully and accurately  police log (written record of what police witness)

Officers’ Roles at a crime scene 4 types of police officers investigate a crime scene: Patrol officer – first member to arrive, secure the crime scene and ensure no evidence is lost or tampered with “Scenes of crime officer” – trained in evidence collection and preservation techniques (skilled photographers, trained in lifting fingerprints, foot impressions) “criminal identification officer”- responsible for searching the crime scene, examining the scene for physical evidence, gathering and analyzing evidence “criminal investigations bureau officer” – plain clothed detective with experiences in a particular area of crime (trained to supervise the investigation, interview victims, interrogate suspects)

Identifying and Collecting physical evidence

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE - Physical evidence  any object, impression, or body element that can be used to prove or disprove facts relating to an offence Valuable - greater weight in court than evidence obtained through witnesses’ statements Forensic science  application of biochemical and other scientific techniques to criminal investigation (examine and analyze the physical evidence found at a crime scene)

Tools Tools used in the commission of crimes are hammers, knives, screwdrivers and crowbars They have individual characteristics on their surfaces/edges that can be detected in crime labs

Impressions Impressions  patterns or marks found on surfaces and caused by various objects such as fingers, gloves, shoes, tires or tools Collecting impression is done in 2 stages: First impression is recorded by photographing or scanning it, or by taking a mould Then police try to match the impression with the object that made it

Impressions have 2 characteristics: Class characteristics  general attributes of an object such as type, make, model, style and size (tire could be12-inch, manufactured in 2005, by B.F. Goodrich Company – this is general) Individual characteristics  refer to specific and unique features of an object. Such characteristics could narrow the range of possibilities and help make positive identification (wear and tear on left rear tire)

Fingerprint  patterned mark left on a surface by a fingertip Fingerprint  patterned mark left on a surface by a fingertip. Can be taken of a person’s hands, feet, or toes Never change and are unique to each individual No 2 people have the same fingerprint pattern (even identical twins have different) Fingerprints

2 types of prints: Visible fingerprint  observed by the naked eye and is usually formed when the fingertip is coated in dirt, blood, grease, or some other substance (can be photographed immediately) Latent fingerprint  made by perspiration and oils that occur naturally on the skin’s surface, cannot be seen by the naked eye – has to be developed before photographing

Gloves Criminals who use gloves to conceal their fingerprints may be in for an unpleasant surprise Police can use glove impressions to identify a suspect in almost the same way as fingerprints Compare the impression’s class characteristics (such as overall pattern of the glove and the spacing of its stitches) and the individual characteristics (such as worn or torn areas) with the gloves of a suspect

Shoe prints and tire tracks Shoe prints and tire tracks can be matched to the person Prints can give a general idea of: the suspect’s approximate height and weight any injuries he or she might have sustained in committing the act whether suspect was carrying, pushing, or dragging anything running or walking Tire impressions: Can help determine the type of tires Make of the car Direction of the car

Body Elements and DNA Crimes often result in a transfer of bodily fluids or other bodily elements from the suspect to the victim Blood, semen, mucus, hair and skin Police can use this for DNA testing Blood is most common substance found at the crime scene

Procedures for labelling evidence Officers label items of evidence so they can be identified at a later date Proper labelling ensures evidence is not contaminated or tampered with Officers take care to establish a proper chain of custody for the evidence Chain of custody  is the witnessed, written record of all of the people who had control over the items of evidence Chain must remain unbroken from the time the evidence is discovered at the crime to the time it is produced in court

It must show… Who had contact with the evidence Dates and times the evidence was handled The circumstances under which the evidence was handled What changes, if any, were made to the evidence All evidence collected is tagged and placed in an “evidence package”