Law Enforcement Criminal Investigation Fundamentals 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An investigator arrives first at a homicide scene. What is the immediate priority before evidence collection begins?
- Photograph the body
- Ensure scene safety and render aid to any victims (Correct answer)
- Interview bystanders
- Dust for fingerprints
Correct answer: Ensure scene safety and render aid to any victims
Officer and victim safety, including rendering medical aid, always takes priority over evidence preservation.
Question 2: The 'chain of custody' for physical evidence is primarily intended to establish what?
- The market value of the evidence
- Continuous, documented control proving the evidence was not altered (Correct answer)
- Which officer found it first
- The location for storage
Correct answer: Continuous, documented control proving the evidence was not altered
Chain of custody documents every person who handled evidence to prove its integrity and prevent tampering claims.
Question 3: What is the term for the principle that 'every contact leaves a trace'?
- Miranda principle
- Locard's exchange principle (Correct answer)
- Daubert standard
- Frye rule
Correct answer: Locard's exchange principle
Locard's exchange principle holds that a perpetrator always brings something to and takes something from a crime scene.
Question 4: When documenting a crime scene with photographs, why are overall, mid-range, and close-up shots all taken?
- To use up the camera memory
- To show context, relationships, and detail of evidence (Correct answer)
- Because regulations require exactly three photos
- To confuse the defense
Correct answer: To show context, relationships, and detail of evidence
The three-tier approach captures spatial context, item relationships, and fine evidentiary detail.
Question 5: A modus operandi (MO) differs from a signature in that the MO:
- Is the emotional need fulfilled by the crime
- Is the method the offender uses to commit the crime and can evolve (Correct answer)
- Never changes over time
- Is always left intentionally
Correct answer: Is the method the offender uses to commit the crime and can evolve
An MO is the functional method of committing a crime and may change as an offender gains experience, while a signature reflects a psychological need.
Question 6: Which search pattern is most appropriate for a large outdoor crime scene with multiple searchers?
- Spiral inward only
- Grid (double-line) pattern (Correct answer)
- Random walk
- Single point search
Correct answer: Grid (double-line) pattern
The grid pattern overlaps two line searches at right angles, providing thorough coverage of large open areas.
Question 7: What distinguishes a 'primary' crime scene from a 'secondary' one?
- Primary is indoors, secondary is outdoors
- Primary is where the main criminal act occurred; secondary is a related but separate location (Correct answer)
- Primary has more evidence by definition
- There is no real difference
Correct answer: Primary is where the main criminal act occurred; secondary is a related but separate location
The primary scene is where the core offense took place; secondary scenes are connected locations such as where a body was dumped.
Law Enforcement Criminal Investigation Fundamentals 2
An investigator arrives first at a homicide scene.
What is the immediate priority before evidence collection begins?