Criminal Investigation Part 4 Records as an Investigative Aid

Records: From Birth Until Death 1.Impossible in modern society - trail of past activity - a paper trail 2.Starts at birth -doctor visits -hospital visit -the birth - medications - mother / father

Elementary School 1.Includes: -name / date of birth / address / phone number / parent names 2.Records follow: - school to school - past locations -where information sent -locate student / parent

High School 1.Photograph in year-book 2.Activities participated in 3.Social Security Number 4.Driver’s license / vehicle identification 5.Part-time employment

Continues into Adult Life 1.Business certificates -classified / professional 2.Credit card purchases -date / time / location -stores / businesses / items purchased 3.Service accounts -lawyer / stockbroker / accountant / stores 4.Military -photo / fingerprints / physicals / training

Every stage of life 1.Government / business records - note a persons life 2.Life can be reconstructed - diligent / informed effort 3.Find old friend - left school 10 th grade 4.Find a criminal suspect

Sources of Information 1.High school 2.College 3.Military 4.Professional 5.Business checks 6.Internet

Materials on Record 1.Ownership of private property -auto -house - gun 2.Required licenses -drivers / marriage - professional - dog - hunting / fishing

Materials, cont. 3.Business transactions -purchase or sale of property -checking / saving accounts 4.Utility services -gas / electric / telephone / cable 5.Transportation - airlines / car rentals / travel companies

Why are records sought? 1.Link person to object 2.Link one person to another 3.Link person to a place 4.Link person to a time period 5.Discover something about a person’s life 6.Know social history of a person

Potential of records 1.Follow-up / additional leads 2.Identify suspect / person sought 3.Trace criminals / victims / witnesses 4.Recover stolen property 5.Facts on ownership

Types / Sources of Recorded Information 1.Law Enforcement Agencies - greatest amount of identification information a. Fingerprints / arrest information / method of operation / mug shot b. Wanted fugitives / property report / pawn brokers / habitual criminals / aliases / FI cards

Sources, cont. 2.Penal records -information regarding an inmate / probationer / parolee -names of visitors / cell mates / other friends 3.Federal government -ATF / US Customs / IRS / INS / DEA/ Coast Guard / FCC / FAA / HUD / Medicare / TSA / etc.

Sources, cont. 4.State government - property tax / licenses / certificates - welfare / unemployment / medical records 5.Local government - licenses / utilities / taxes