Furthermore, the discretion of police can play a large role in the investigation of criminal offences; however, it can lead to certain individuals in society being targeted. The amount of power that police currently have is enough to successfully achieve justice and to sufficiently protect the community. It is imperative to the safety of society that police have a large degree of power in criminal investigations. The New South Wales police force under the Law Enforcement (Power and Responsibilities) Act 2002 is given special legal powers to enable them to effectively carry out their duties. The ‘7:30 report – Sydney shootings spark call for expanded police powers’ supports the importance of police having a high degree of authority in criminal matters.
Feldman (2009), eye witness and victims are sometimes better able to recall the details of a crime when hypnotized. Eye witness testimony can make a deep impression on a jurrry, which is often exclusively assigned the role of sorting our credibility issues and making judgments about the truth of witness statements. Fisher(1999), argues that arriving at a just result and a correct determination of truth is difficult enough without added possibility that witness themselves give. Tversky (1999), also pointed out that witnesses are a powerful impact on juries. Basing on the above elucidation, one may deduce that eye witness testimony plays a fundamental role in the legal system.
Outside sources can contribute to investigations by uncovering or suspecting wrong doing. Often, these sources will come from the media, consumers, or concerned citizens. The informer will likely be an insider in the company who is involved in the criminal activity in some way. In return for their cooperation with law enforcement, the informer will likely seek compensation of one form or another, they may be given promises of leniency, immunity from prosecution, or a financial reward (Friedrichs, 2007). Another company insider who is a vital source of information to investigators is Whistle Blowers.
In most cases our fear of crime is much higher that the likelihood of us actually being a victim of crime. The media This term refers to television, radio, newspapers, the internet and magazines to name but a few, when looking at crime, the media can often present a distorted view of reality which can in turn make us more fearful of crime. In essence, the media need to have newsworthy stories for us to read and so will select the most shocking stories to report on. This can give the public the impression that such
Investigative notes are a permanent written record of the facts of a case to be used in further investigation, in writing reports and in prosecuting the case (Hess, 2010). Taking notes is no stranger to police officers at a crime scene; many officers find this strategy to be very helpful determining the guilt or innocence of an individual. Gathering notes from witnesses as soon as possible after receiving a call to respond and continue recording information as it is received throughout the investigation, “witnesses are important sources of information regarding crimes committed in their community” (Hess, 2010). Note taking is supposed to benefit the investigation, but how information is obtained—whether the officers establish good rapport or not—can greatly influence investigative success. When taking notes officers must learn to keep it short and abbreviated, and at the same time understandable for not only you to read, but if you become ill, injured or deceased, others must be able to read and understand your notes.
The Psychological Effects of Homicide in Surviving Family Members By Leslie “Dessy” Guzman Upper Iowa University Abstract In every crime a series of events take place that involve an undetermined number of people. The fundamental support of a police department, family members, and members of the community all play a vital role in assisting crime victims or, in the case of a homicide, family members of crime victims in the aftermath of the crisis event. The road to recovery for those affected after experiencing the psychological effects of the crime is more easily and effectively traveled with the right people involved. The Psychological Effects of Homicide on Surviving Family Members Introduction Ever since the beginning of time people have found a way to shock one another into the consciousness of the existence of crime. The sense of security and calmness that most seek in life is within themselves manifested either at home, their place of work or even favorite places to be with the people loved by them.
Criminal Profiling: Serial Killers Starsha Brown Walden University The Nature of Crime & Criminology August 4, 2015 Introduction Criminal profiling is vital when researchers are trying to identify the key characteristics of a serial killer. Profiling will assist investigators with identifying the types of serial killers as well as decreasing the numbers of victims. The more information that is gathered about the serial killer, the quicker the apprehension of the offender will be. In criminal trials, criminal profiles paint a clear picture of the dynamics that surround serial killing and the intense fantasies that provoke serial killers. In this paper, I will discuss the fundamental behaviors and factors of serial killers (Paul Rowles and John Wayne Gacy) that criminal profilers should be aware of in future serial killer cases.
Dangers faced by police include death, increased risk of infectious diseases, and serious and minor trauma, both physical and emotional. These dangers are encountered in many different situations i.e. apprehension/arrest and investigation of criminals, conducting vehicle stops, investigating people and crimes, protecting the public from dangerous situations or individuals, investigating traffic accidents and witnessing the carnage that often results from those accidents, responding to suicides and directing traffic. (Stone, 2013) When it comes to the future of our police departments I believe that with budget cuts, and longer working hours we will have more batches of dirty cops then we will good cops. I say this because after a while we will have police that just don’t care about the protection of the citizens or anyone of this matter.
Changing values can also affect the law in the sense that every so often the public with have sympathy for someone who is being prosecuted for a certain crime and the law may eventually be changed to reflect the changing attitudes of society. This was evident when the illegal drug cannabis was down graded to a class C drug. Durkheim also points out that a sense of social cohesion can be created by particularly heinous crimes. A sense of shared outrage can bring a community closer together.
There are many examples of excessive force that will examine what’s being done to address the issue. In recent years, police actions, particularly police abuse, has been revealed to the public. While citizens are worried about the criminals around them, they are now also worried about the people who are supposed to be protecting them. A good example of this can be found in the article “End Police Brutality” by the Law Journal for Social Justice from an incident that happened in October 2010 stating that: Elvira was embroiled in a domestic dispute involving