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Investigations: Criminal

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Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management
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Definition

Criminal investigations involve systematic series of actions by an investigator, guided by the penal code for a jurisdiction in which the crime occurred, that uncover or make available facts that could be used to identify, locate, and prosecute a suspect (e.g., prove guilt).

Introduction

A complete criminal investigation includes searching, interviews, interrogations, evidence collection and preservation, and various methods of investigation (Woods 2013). The steps involved are governed by penal codes that involve an overlapping system of governments and the legislated laws pertaining to their areas of responsibility (Nemeth 2018). This layering begins with local government that includes the city, township, county, or municipality. In more urban areas, the municipal government may have layers of both a local and county government, but these entities legislate through ordinances that generally regulate behavior of very minor offenses and are often more concerned with...

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References

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Future Readings

  • Bell, W. R. (2002). Practical criminal investigations in correctional facilities. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

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  • Gardner, R. M., & Krouskup, D. (2019). Practice crime scene processing and investigation (3rd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

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  • Geberth, V. J. (2010). Sex-related homicide and death investigation: Practical and clinical perspectives (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

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  • Geberth, V. J. (2014). Practical homicide investigation checklist and field guide (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

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Correspondence to Brian Kohlhepp .

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Kohlhepp, B. (2019). Investigations: Criminal. In: Shapiro, L., Maras, MH. (eds) Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_39-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_39-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-69891-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-69891-5

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