GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF INVESTIGATION- An introduction to the practices and procedures involved in

conducting civil and criminal investigations. Topics include learning about crimes and their elements,
modus operandi, major goals of investigations, primary functions and responsibilities of investigating
officers/agents and the investigator’s relationship with other individuals and agencies involved in an
investigation.

INVESTIGATION- It is the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically. It is also an
art

It is the collection of facts to accomplish a threefold aim:

1. To identify the guilty party.

2. To locate the guilty party.

3. To provide evidence of his guilt

TOOLS OF AN INVESTIGATOR IN GATHERING FACTS

1. Information

2. Interview/Interrogation

3. Instrumentation

INFORMATION- A data gathered by an investigator from other persons, including the victim and the
following:

a. Public records

b. Private records

c. Modus Operandi File

Public records are documents or pieces of information that are not considered confidential and
generally pertain to the conduct of government.

Private records are data that were not collected with the intent to conduct research, but instead exists
for the purpose of collecting information on individuals for the individual's own sake.

Modus Operandi File information gathered of a person’s distinct pattern or method of operation that
indicates or suggests the work of a single criminal in more than one crime.

Interview- The process of eliciting information from witnesses and confidential information.

Interrogation- A skillful questioning of hostile witnesses and suspect.

Instrumentation- A scientific examination of real evidence, application of instrument and methods of
the physical science in detecting crime.

Objective of the entire course of investigation

* Provoke the guilty to confess

* Allow the investigator to narrow down the list of suspected criminals

* To identify the facts and know the circumstances surrounding the crime

* To establish the identity of all those who are involved of the crime

* To gather information that would help locate physical evidence

* Gather information that would lead to hideouts, crime operations organizations or individuals
involved especially crimes involving drug trafficking

* Gather information that could be used as reference for further investigation

POLYGRAPH- Instrument that records certain physiological change in a person undergoing questioning
in an effort to obtain truth or deception

What does polygraph records or detect-

* Galvanic skin resistance/Conductivity

* Cardiovascular activity

ANXIETY is perceived as an indicator of lying- Fear or nervousness about what might happen.

Any conscious effort at deception by a rational individual causes involuntary and uncontrollable
physiological responses which include measurable reactions in blood pressure peripheral pulse-
amplitude, breathing and electrodermal response.

COMPUTER VOICE STRESS ANALYZER- In the voice stress analysis, examiners measure the presence of
micro-tremor of about 8 to 14 Hz. That is normal when beyond something is wrong.

GATHERING INFORMATION- Conducting an interview or interrogation before and after polygraph test,
there are factors that need to be considered that could gravely affect the information extracted.

QUESTION- A sentence, phrase or word that ask for information.

AMOUNT OF QUESTION

 In pre-test amount of question must be moderate

 If too much could lead less interaction and openness on the interviewee.
  If too little can cause discomfort or anxiety

 One at a time to establish open ended questioning

BASIC CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION PROCEDURE

* WHAT offense has been committed

* WHERE was the offense committed

* WHO committed the offense

* WHEN was the offense committed

* WHY was the offense committed

* HOW was the offense committed

PHASES OF INVESTIGATION

1. Identify the guilt party

2. Trace and locate the criminal

3. Proved by evidence the guilt of suspect/s

Identify the guilt party

by:

* Confession

* Eyewitness testimony

* Circumstantial evidence

* Associate evidence

Confession- A statement admitting or acknowledging all facts necessary for conviction of a crime, which
would be distinct from a mere admission of certain facts that, if true ,would still not, by themselves,
satisfy all the elements of the offense.

Eyewitness testimony- The account a bystander or victim gives in the court room, describing what that
person observe that occurred during the specific incident under investigation. Ideally this recollection of
events is detailed; however, this is not always the case

Circumstantial evidence- Evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact—such

as a fingerprint at the scene of a crime. By contrast, direct evidence supports the truth of an assertion
directly—i.e., without need for any additional evidence or inference.
Associate evidence- Associative evidence can be used to provide links between evidence and individuals
involved in a crime. In some cases, the associative evidence (e.g., fingerprints or DNA) may be sufficient
to prove the contact. In other cases, the associative evidence may be less definitive and provide
corroboration of other evidence.

Trace and locate the criminal- An investigative technique that finds an individual, usually one who has
skipped out on a legal or financial obligation though it is not limited to those matters

* Records Research: When searching for important documents, investigators will use databases,
courthouses, libraries, public service locations that house records, and even the United States
Post Office. The kinds of records they look for could include marital, court, business, and
financial. The validity of these records is also something they verify.

* Surveillance: Surveillance is often employed to understand the individual, including their habits,
schedules, and the locations in which they live, work, and socialize.

* Background Investigation: Dependent upon the case itself, an investigator may conduct
a background investigation to better understand the individual. This can include interviews with
family members, friends, and former colleagues, and looking into criminal records.

Proved by evidence the guilt of suspect/s

* The suspect/s must be proven guilty on the crime

* The evidence must proved that that the suspect/s are guilty.

Standard method of recording investigative data

1. Photographs

2. Sketching crime scenes

3. Written notes(what have seen or observed

4. Developing and lifting fingerprints found at the crime scene

5. Gathering physical evidence

6. Plaster cast

7. Tape recording of sound

8. Video tape

9. Written statements of subject/s and witnesses

SCIENTIFIC EXAMINATION OF REAL EVIDENCE

THE CRIME SCENE SEARCH

* PROCESSING AND SECURING A CRIME SCENE

* PROTECTING THE CRIME SCENE AND THE EVIDENCE

INVESTIGATOR’S NOTEBOOK

* PURPOSE

RECORDING NOTES

PROCESSING AND SECURING A CRIME SCENE- it includes the application of diligent and careful methods
by an investigator/policeman to recognize, identify, preserve and collect facts and items of evidentiary
value that may assist in reconstructing that which may occurred.

PROTECTING THE CRIME SCENE AND THE EVIDENCE- The following minimum protocol will be adhered
to in order to protect the scene of a crime

INVESTIGATOR’S NOTEBOOK

Purpose- considering the mass of details and the number of cases which in some instances an
investigator is handling, it is possible that he might forget some details

RECORDING NOTES- The data of the investigation should be recorded in a complete, accurate and
legible fashion so that in the event another investigator is required to assume the responsibility for the
investigation, he can make intelligent use of the notebook.

CORPUS DELICTI- (Latin: "body of the crime"; plural: corpora delicti) is a term from Western
jurisprudence referring to the principle that a crime must be proved to have occurred before a person
can be convicted of committing that crime.