Assignment: Crime Scene Investigation
Preliminary investigations do not necessarily yield enough information to prosecute a criminal case. Despite a thorough preliminary investigation, many cases require a follow-up investigation. Use your textbook, the Internet, and/or Strayer University Online Library (https://research.strayer.edu) to research articles within the past three years on crime scene investigation.
Write a three to four (3 to 4) page paper in which you:
- Assemble a set of guidelines on conducting a preliminary investigation for a criminal case.
- Discuss at least one-way computer-aided investigations can be used in order to conduct an efficient follow-up investigation. Provide a rationale to support the response.
- Select two major crimes (e.g., human-trafficking, domestic violence, abuse of the elderly, sex-related crimes) and compare and contrast the key differences in reporting the two major crimes that you selected.
- Determine the four most important characteristics of an effective criminal investigator and discuss the importance of each characteristic you determined.
- Support or critique the argument that the criminal investigation process should maintain the balance regarding freedom of information through media outlets and privacy rights of alleged perpetrators of crime. Provide a rationale to support the response.
- Use at least three quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar types of websites do not qualify as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
This course requires the use of new Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
Be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow SWS or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
- Describe the major components of and responsibilities involved in the investigative process.
- Recommend improvements to the criminal investigation process in selected areas.
- Describe the procedures for the preparation of field notes and the documentation of a crime scene.
- Use technology and information resources to conduct research in the criminal investigation process.
- Write clearly and concisely about the criminal investigation process using proper writing mechanics.