In a home invasion there are four important steps that need to be taken. Step one, call the police. Step two, the detective needs to establish that a burglary occurred. Step three, locate the breaking and entering point. Step three, focus on the building and the occupies structure of the burglary. Step four, what was the intent of the burglary and what constitute a burglary.
When the detective arrivers to do an assessment of the scene the detective will determine the nature of the incident and the level of response necessary. The detective will document preliminary information, evaluate the complexity and scope of the scene, and plan the course of the investigation. As the detective, you will pay close attention to details and document everything you observe and do. You will record the time of your arrival at the scene and the exact location of the scene. Then you will record the existing weather and lighting conditions. Next, the detective will record information about the first officer on the scene.
The detective will make sure his or her duties have been carried out and documented. The detective will talk with any other officers or rescue workers on the scene. The detective will arrange for witness interviews and transportation. The detective will make sure to keep all witnesses separated from each other so their insight of what occurred is not influenced by anyone else. The detective will determine if a brief interview may be done at the scene to establish whether a possible witness has information about the event. Later in the investigation there will be a formal and detailed interview and it will be conducted at the office.
The witness’s statement should be written, audiotaped, and both. In some case’s the detective might contact the local rape crisis center and transport the victim to a designated medical facility for examination and treatment. The residents and the victims should be discouraged from doing any form of tidying up or cleaning. At the same time, movements inside the house should be limited to areas where there is no connection to the break-in. If it’s possible, investigators should escort the residents to a separate area and conduct the interview while the other investigators are still processing the location. Next ask the victim if she can point out the things that have been disturbed or missing. The investigator should be asked the victim about any recent visitors that has been to their home.
Police officers would also be interviewing the neighbors in case they have seen or heard anything suspicious. Although burglars would often go unnoticed, neighbors can sometimes recall seeing a suspicious vehicle in the area. The victim is an important part of any investigation. It is very important to locate the point where the burglar has gained entry to the property. This area gives a lot of clues and is also the best place to gather helpful evidence. After finding the point of entry, all windows and doors should be checked to find out if there was an attempt to open them. The detective should pay close attention to the ground outside in case of some footprints as these can tell if there were multiple burglars, and a way to estimate the weight and size of the individual.
The detective should look for evidence that can help pinpoint a burglar. The crime scene should be powdered to get both complete and partial fingerprints. The best way to find fingerprints would be on the smooth surfaces and glasses. The problem is most burglars are smart enough to know they should be wearing gloves. At most crime scene evidence is usually found at the point of greatest activity. One of the first things which needs to be determined then is how and where the entry was gained. The most common areas are to look in any room with windows and check for broken glass or a kicked in door.
If some other method of entry is used, make special note of it. Be sure to check all the doors and windows for signs of forced entry often a burglar may try several doors or windows before finding one they can open. Fingerprints are one of the best forms of evidence at any scene, and burglaries offer many opportunities for locating prints.
There are several new materials available which aid in the recovery of prints from textured surfaces. They don’t improve the chances that prints will be left on the surfaces, but they allow you to recover any prints you do find. Look for foot impressions can often be found near points of entry, either below windows, or on doors which have been kicked. With broken windows, it can also be valuable to check the glass on the floor inside the window for impressions. Foot imprints on glass or doors can be recovered using fingerprint powders and lifting tape. Footwear imprints can also be photographed. Use a scale in the photographs so they can be reprinted actual size. Footwear impressions in dirt or snow can be cast. Dental stone is the current casting material of choice. It is usually mixed with water in a large zip lock bag and poured into the impression.
