Chapter6 - Follow-up Investigations

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS COMPONENT SOP MANUAL - CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 6 FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATIONS I. CRITERIA FOR FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATIONS The Coral Springs Police Department shall use criteria to determine whether a case will be followed up and the resources to use in this effort. The Criminal Investigations sergeants shall screen incoming reports and determine which shall be designated for follow up. Certain reports may be referred to units outside the detective bureau for assignment to officers to conduct follow up investigations on incomplete reports or investigations they have responsibility over (YLU, VIN, SET, BEAR, Patrol, etc.). Certain criteria will be used for investigation by the Unit Supervisor. The following basic guidelines shall be adhered to when designating cases for active investigative follow-up or administrative contact. A. Active Investigation 1. The following types of cases will be assigned for active follow-up unless the case has already been completely investigated and cleared initially by a patrol investigation. a. Death Investigations b. Sex Crimes c. Child Abuse d. Robbery e. Other felonious crimes against persons f. Any cases designated by any Criminal Investigations Unit supervisor. 2. Cases, which reflect bona-fide leads, clues or suspects, which in the judgment of the supervisor, could plausibly lead to the solution of the case. 3. Cases which do not reflect as thorough and complete an investigation as could reasonably be expected, given the type and magnitude of the incident. 4. Reports detailing patterns, common methods, or substantial monetary loss. B. Administrative Contact Any report of a crime not falling into the above guidelines may, at the discretion of the reviewing supervisor or the assigned investigator, be designated for administrative contact. Administrative contact is a telephone or mail contact to ensure the victim of the crime has CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS COMPONENT SOP MANUAL - CHAPTER 6 not spontaneously recalled information or found evidence, which was not given to the primary report taker. Supervisors retain the authority to designate any case for active investigation but are encouraged to judiciously screen all cases not falling within the guidelines to facilitate efficient use of investigative resources. At the discretion of the Unit Sergeant some of the previously mentioned cases can go as administrative contacts. 1. Administrative contacts will be made by an investigator or a Criminal Investigations Specialist. 2. Any new information gained by the Criminal Investigations Specialist from the contact will be forwarded to an Investigator for review. 3. All administrative contacts will be documented in the Department’s report writing system. C. Investigation Continuation The Unit Supervisors shall objectively review all supplements, which are submitted according to Unit procedures, to determine if the investigative effort will continue. Consideration should be given to: 1. Continued application of solvability factors 2. Seriousness of the crime 3. Community perception of the crime 4. Investigative workload 5. Investigative resources II. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS Preliminary investigations, under normal circumstances, are to be conducted by the Patrol Unit. The preliminary investigation may be sufficient to bring the case to a satisfactory conclusion, thus eliminating the need for a follow up investigation. This procedure is not intended to preclude the officer conducting the preliminary investigation from being assigned to a follow-up investigation. The following steps should be followed in conducting the preliminary investigations: 1. The officer shall observe all conditions, events and document remarks. 2. The officer shall try to locate all identifying witnesses. 3. The officer shall maintain the crime scene to protect all possible evidence. 4. The officer shall interview the complainant and all witnesses, when practical. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS COMPONENT SOP MANUAL - CHAPTER 6 5. The officer shall, when practical, interview the suspect giving consideration to whether or not Miranda Warnings are needed. Ensure that any statements or admissions are documented/recorded and if applicable passed on to the assigned investigator. 6. The officer shall arrange for the collection of evidence by the CSI Unit or process the scene his or herself, if the CSI Unit is unavailable and the officer is properly trained. 7. The officer shall affect an arrest, if practical. 8. The officer shall report the incident fully and accurately to the best of his/her knowledge. 9. All officers shall comply with Department policy in regard to rules and regulations and general orders when conducting a preliminary investigation. III. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS A. Purpose The following guidelines should be followed when conducting background investigations as part of a criminal investigation. B. Procedures 1. The purpose of the investigation should be identified. a. Investigations shall not be conducted by a member of Criminal Investigations for non-criminal matters. b. All investigations shall be conducted for specific purposes and shall contain well- defined investigative objectives. c. Every reasonable effort must be made to ensure that any initiated or assigned investigation and/or persons involved, be identified as fully and accurately as possible. d. During the course of an investigation as new information develops and/or other persons become the target of an investigation, the investigator shall notify the unit supervisor of the investigation and the reason for that investigation (e.g., violation of Florida State Statute, Coral Springs City ordinance violation). 2. Identification of Sources of Information a. Any information received by an investigator shall be documented in an investigative supplement report with an explanation as to the origin/source of information and the reliability of that information as it relates to that current “active” investigation. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS COMPONENT SOP MANUAL - CHAPTER 6 b. These sources of information may be obtained from but not limited to the following, as there are limitless resources of information available to the investigator. Sources listed as: Federal Bureau of Investigation U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Internal Revenue Service U.S. Secret Service Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Division, Treasury Department U.S. Postal Service Drug Enforcement Agency U.S. Park Police Tribal law enforcement agencies State law enforcement agencies County law enforcement agencies Local police departments Public records and documents Utilities companies Confidential informants 3. Use of Information Collected a. Criminal intelligence information based upon “mere suspicion”, meaning “circumstances based solely on the investigator's belief, without any supporting evidence that a violation of the law has occurred or is about to occur”, may not be maintained nor disseminated by this Department. b. Any information received from other law enforcement agencies or sources should be considered on a case- by-case basis as the sensitivity and confidentiality of that information, at the request of that particular agency.