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How to successfully solve serial murder cases -? Ideas and discussion -? Sharecroppers – key facts report. The most important issues, factors regarding process of searching for ‘most wanted’ are shoved below: ; Identification off Serial Murder Series Leadership Task Force Organization Resource Augmentation Communication Data Management Analytical Tools Medical Examiners/Coroners Administrative Issues Training ‘Chameleon’ effect Historically, the first Indication that a serial murderer was at work was when two or more cases were linked by forensic or behavioral evidence.
Identifying a hornblende series is easier in rapidly-developing, high profile cases involving low risk victims. These cases are reported to law enforcement upon discovery of the crimes and draw immediate media attention. In contrast, identifying a series involving high risk victims In multiple Jurisdictions Is much more difficult. This Is primarily due to the high risk lifestyle and transitory nature of the victims. Additionally, the lack of communication between law enforcement agencies and differing records management systems impede the linkage of cases to a common offender.
High profile Investigations present a multitude of leadership challenges for law enforcement, from investigators to police executives. Law enforcement personnel may face external pressures from political entities, victims’ families, and the media. Collectively, strong management throughout the chain of command must continually reinforce the supreme goal of the Investigation: To arrest and prosecute the offender, The roles of both investigators and supervisors are clearly delineated.
The investigative function is the primary mission, and all other activities are in support of hat mission. In serial murder cases, the actual investigation should be directed by competent, homicide Investigators, who have the experience to direct and focus the investigative process. Law enforcement administrators should not run the investigation but rather ensure that the investigators have the resources to do their job. Supervisors should also act as buffers between investigators and the other levels of command.
Preparing for these Intense Investigations: Identifying all resources that may be needed during the Investigation and maintaining detailed lists of available resources. Establishing good working scheduled meetings, and Joint training. ; ; Providing training opportunities in the latest techniques and methods of homicide investigation. Additional observations regarding leadership in task force operations include: ; Communication on administrative issues should be restricted to management personnel of the various agencies, so as not to distract investigators. The intense pressure in high profile investigations may at times decrease logical decision making. ; Law enforcement administration in each of the participating law enforcement agencies should present unified front by agreeing to a written investigative strategy that outlines the investigative goals, the roles of the agencies, and establishes a clear and concise chain of command. Command staff should focus on providing and managing the resources investigators need to solve the case, rather than directing the investigation.
While doing the researches I found out was the issue of micro- management. When a supervisor attempts to personally direct every action in an investigation, rather than allowing investigators to perform their Jobs independently, they exacerbate problems in these high profile investigations. While law enforcement attracts positive individuals with strong personalities, management should encourage all involved personnel to leave their “egos” at the door. This ensures that personality differences among investigators do not become a distraction to the investigation.
Investigators who lack the ability to collaborate with colleagues can hinder the investigation and should not be assigned to investigative teams. Task Force Organization Once a serial murder series has been identified, it is important for the involved law enforcement agencies to work together. There are a number of operational and investigative issues critical to the successful establishment of an investigative task force. Initially, a lead agency for the task force should be designated and will assume the primary investigative role.
The choice of a lead agency is based upon a number of factors including the number and viability of the cases, available resources, and investigative experience. Once established, all law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation should have representation in the task force. Any outlying agencies should also be included, even if they do not have an identified case in the investigation. An effective and reliable investigative model identifies a lead investigator and conversation, who, regardless of rank, are given complete control of the investigation.
These investigators review all incoming information, collate the information, and assign leads. If the flow of incoming information becomes unmanageable due to an excessive influx of investigative tips, the lead investigators can delegate this responsibility to an experienced investigator, who will act as a lead control officer. Administrators must look beyond the traditional method of assigning he next available investigators regardless of skill or assigning investigators who have no desire to be involved in a major case. Consequently, law enforcement administrators must assign the most qualified investigator(s) to lead the current case.
The lead investigator(s) must have the experience, dedication, and tenacity to direct all aspects of the investigation. They should also, with management’s support, have the ability to select a cadre of investigators and support personnel and assign such personnel as the investigation dictates. In serial murder investigations, the lead incident may be interwoven. It is the responsibility of the lead investigators or the lead control investigator to ensure relevant information is distributed to the entire task force. At the onset of the task force, the lead investigators should immediately implement a preplanned task force model.
Common to most models is the need to establish an information management system to track tips and leads in the case. This computer system should account for the idiosyncrasies of the investigation while being flexible enough to handle any contingency. All personnel should be familiar with its operation, and it should be pre-tested to insure viability in investigative notations. Primary to the investigation is sufficient manpower to successfully investigate and prosecute the case. The overwhelming consensus from the attendees is that the assignment of excessive numbers of personnel to the investigation may be counterproductive.
A small group of experienced homicide investigators, under the direction of the lead investigator(s), is far more effective than a large number of less experienced investigators or investigators who are experienced in different areas of criminal activity. Additional personnel may be brought in for specific tasks as accessory There should be a bifurcation of responsibility between the administration of the case and the investigation of the case. The task of running the investigation is the responsibility of the lead investigator. The administration provides all of the necessary support, including procurement of equipment, funding, and manpower.
As an example, task force administrators must obtain authority for priority requests for services, from the forensic laboratory and other service providers. The lead investigator(s) and the administrators of the task force must have a close, cooperative irking relationship, while maintaining their own areas of responsibility. Assignment of liaison personnel in serial homicide cases is highly recommended. The highest priority is the families of the victims, who will be supportive of the investigative efforts, when they believe the investigators are competent and all available resources are being used to identify and arrest the offender.
An investigator with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills should be assigned to maintain constant contact with the families, keeping them apprised of the progress of the investigation and any pending press releases. Liaison must also be maintained with the numerous support entities both inside and outside the task force including the prosecutor’s office, the forensic laboratory, the medical examiner’s office, and surrounding law enforcement agencies. Additionally, a list of available experts in specific forensic and related fields should be compiled and liaison established for use in the investigation.
As long as the flow of information is manageable, one individual can be assigned to multiple liaison duties. Resource Augmentation As the investigation continues, the manpower requirements of the task force will increase for various reasons, including increasing the number of investigators and support staff. Restraint must be practiced by task force administrators to avoid the use of excess personnel. As previously discussed, the use of fewer personnel may be more effective. The lead investigator is in the best position to recognize when additional personnel are needed.
The administrator’s responsibility is to provide the authority for the permanent or temporary reassignment of the requested number of force, the reassignment should be for the duration of the task force, to insure nonentity of investigative information. However, for short term needs such as a specific neighborhood canvass or road block canvass, personnel can be reassigned temporarily to complete the specific task and then be returned to their normal duties. In either event, the arrival of new personnel should be preplanned and a detailed case briefing provided.
This briefing should include an explanation of their specific assignment, their work hours, details of the investigation as it applies to their assignment, expected standards for report completion, and a complete list of contact numbers. Additionally, personnel should be cautioned about discussing case sensitive information with anyone outside of authorized law enforcement personnel. Communications within the process of serial murder: Daily briefings are essential for investigators, especially when there are different work shifts.
Periodic summary briefings are also necessary for managers and patrol officers. These can be accomplished via e-mails or at roll call and should be conducted by investigative personnel. ; Communication on the operational level is paramount, especially in task force investigations and when serial murder cases involve multiple states. As all information must be shared seamlessly, teleconferences may not sufficiently allow for the flow of information. Face-t case briefings are suggested. ; Reports submission on solved and unsolved murders, attempted murders, and sexual assaults.
Database is strongly recommended and may facilitate the linkage of unknown related cases for law enforcement agencies. I noticed that a common problem with finding the serial offenders occurs when data is not entered into the electronic database in a timely manner. Useful leads are lost when investigators are overloaded with information. While searching the Police available publications I would follow to the authors with suggestions: ; In order to avoid time lags, reports should be written as soon as the investigative lead is completed. ; Sufficient time should be allocated during work shifts to complete reports. Information should be obtained, documented, and distributed in a standardized manner, to maintain consistency among different agencies. Ideally, reports should be computer generated to ease the communication issues. ; System should be utilized, to effectively organize and collate lead information. Computerized yester promote the analysis of a tremendous amount of data. There should be sufficient personnel committed to ensure that data is recorded into the system, in a timely manner. ; Murder Journals should be created and maintained in hard copy or developed electronically. All rough notes should be maintained and entered into evidence. ;Reports should be distributed to all participating law enforcement agencies and the prosecutor’s office. Analytical Tools The wide range of analytical resources available to law enforcement agencies is typically under-utilized at the onset of a serial murder investigation. Due to the voluminous amount of information characteristic of high profile investigations, critical lead information may be lost. The implementation of a tested and reliable case staff, is imperative in serial murder investigations.
Crime analysts offer critical support to the investigation by developing timeliness on victims and suspects, compiling matrices to highlight similar case elements, and providing general analytical support. Analysts should be assigned to the initial investigation group, so information can be sorted, compared, and charted to provide timely lead information. Following the suggestion from the I-J police officers I would suggest that review team of experienced investigators must be formed to assist the lead investigator(s) in filtering through the information gathered by analysts.
The team should consist of two to four investigators from within the involved agencies, as well as the crime analysts. The team must remain intact throughout the investigation, to maintain the case integrity. Medical Examiners/Coroners A thorough autopsy and the subsequent collection of evidence are critical in serial murder investigations. Medical examiners and coroners operate according to their efferent state mandates and vary as to the thoroughness of their investigations.
Law enforcement agencies should review their current administrative policies relating to maintenance and storage of unsolved homicide case materials. Top priority should be given to these cases by extending the storage time limit and may include the following: ;Mirror the Bi’s NCAA 50-year minimum mandate to keep copies of all unsolved cases. ; Retain records of unsolved homicide cases and the accompanying evidence until the case is closed. ; Records should be electronically converted. Evidence storage should be available for long term storage of forensic evidence in murder cases. Submit cases to the Bi’s VICAR database, which maintains case information indeed ninety. Resources and Finances It is essential that an investigative agency have the resources available in order to establish the initial setup for a task force, both from financial and logistic perspectives. There should be a contingency plan in place to handle the resource issues in a major investigation. Buildings, office space, computers, phones, vehicles, food, and other necessities should be considered in the plan. Training Training continues to be an issue for all law enforcement departments.
Complex homicide investigations, especially those involving serial murder cases, depend upon the experience and abilities of investigators to effectively conduct the investigation. With the retirement of many experienced homicide investigators, newer investigators need training and exposure to a wide range of investigative techniques. Attendees also suggested the utilization of standardized training for homicide investigators, crime analysts, and medical examiners. Chameleon effect: While doing the researches and searching the database from the police case studies
I realized that one of the most effective way to reach ‘most wanted’ would be ‘Chameleon effect’ A Global Perspective on Incarceration: How an International Focus Can Help the United States Reconsider Its Incarceration Rates Victims & Offenders Douglas B. Weiss and Doris L. MacKenzie Volume 5 Issue 3 Attitudes Toward the Police: The Significance of Race and Other Factors Among College Students Journal of Ethnicity & Criminal Justice Specter M. Mamba Volume 8 Issue 3 A Woman’s Life Before Serving Life: Examining the Negative Pre-alienation Life Events of Female Life-sentenced Inmates Women & Criminal Justice Margaret E.