Police investigation (2024)

FAQs

What is the process of investigation? ›

It consists of gathering, securing, and examination of evidence aiming to establish facts substantiating or refuting allegations, and may consist of several stages (including initial consideration, preliminary assessment, and investigation).

A detective may call you for several reasons, even requesting that you stop by their police station. As we mentioned, they may be trying to gather information about a crime that has been committed, or they may be trying to locate a person of interest in a criminal case.

The mission of the units that comprise the Criminal Investigations Bureau is to provide investigative, technical and specialized expert assistance within the Division of State Police, as well as our partners in federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

It should be completed as quickly as possible, although this could be days or weeks', depending on the nature of what is being investigated. Any reasonable further time needed is allowed, and this should be explained to you.

Physical evidence is useful (1) to determine how a crime was committed, (2) to connect a suspect with the crime or identify the criminal, or (3) to clear an innocent person.

Crime scene investigators collect evidence such as fingerprints, footprints, tire tracks, blood and other body fluids, hairs, fibers and fire debris. NIJ funds projects to improve: Identification of blood and other body fluids at the scene. Field detection of drugs and explosives.

Don't speculate about what happened, or guess. If you don't know the answer to a question, say you don't know. But only answer with “I don't know” or “I don't remember” if it's true. Don't say you don't recall as a tactic to avoid answering a question.

If you have any reason to think that you may be the suspect of a crime, you should never agree to talk to the police without a lawyer. You are never required to cooperate in an investigation against yourself. In fact, you have a Constitutional right that allows you to refuse to submit to questioning.

Can detectives tap your phone? ›

Law enforcement agencies must get a wiretap order before eavesdropping on a phone conversation. A wiretap order is similar to a search warrant. Because wiretapping is so intrusive, law enforcement officers are held to a high standard when seeking wiretap orders.

Also, a good investigator should focus on asking short, to-the-point questions such as “Who told you that?” and “What did she say to you?” and “Where were you during this conversation?” and “How did that make you feel?” and “What happened next?” Remember, a good investigator will resist the urge to tell a witness what ...

Who can access arrest records depends on the details and type of charges. As a general rule, most arrest records are available to the public. However, this can vary from state to state. The New Jersey Open Public Records Act means that most arrest records are available to anyone in the state.

The Official Corruption Bureau, comprised of a Bureau command and North and South Units, is responsible for conducting criminal investigations into allegations of official misconduct.

For additional information about state regulations, procedures, and training requirements, click here. In New Jersey, Private Investigators are licensed under The Private Detective Act of 1939.

The investigative process is a progression of activities or steps moving from evidence gathering tasks, to information analysis, to theory development and validation, to forming reasonable ground to believe, and finally to the arrest and charge of a suspect.

A six-step, structured approach to incident investigation (Fig 1) helps to ensure that all the causes are uncovered and addressed by appropriate actions.