Investigation Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real MTA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Investigation Techniques flashcards as text
An officer finds a discarded gun near a shooting scene. What is the correct first step in handling this evidence?
Answer: Leave it untouched and notify the evidence technician
Physical evidence should not be touched or moved until a trained evidence technician documents and properly collects it.
During a homicide investigation, which document is used to track the possession and movement of physical evidence?
Answer: Chain of custody log
The chain of custody log records every person who handles evidence, ensuring its integrity for court proceedings.
An investigator discovers that a key witness has a prior felony conviction. How should this affect the investigation?
Answer: The conviction should be noted, as it may affect credibility but does not disqualify testimony
A prior felony conviction affects a witness's credibility, which is evaluated by the jury, but does not automatically disqualify them from testifying.
What is the primary purpose of crime scene sketching?
Answer: To provide an accurate, scaled record of the scene's layout and evidence locations
Crime scene sketches provide a precise, scaled diagram that captures spatial relationships between evidence and landmarks.
During a robbery investigation, you learn a pawn shop employee recognized the stolen property. This is an example of which investigative lead?
Answer: Community canvass lead
Identifying stolen property through community members such as pawn shop employees is a result of a community canvass effort.
Which of the following BEST describes a 'dying declaration'?
Answer: A statement made by a victim who believes death is imminent, about the cause of their death
A dying declaration is an exception to the hearsay rule and applies to statements made by a victim who believes they are about to die regarding the circumstances of their death.
A police officer obtains a confession after refusing to allow a suspect food and water for 12 hours. This confession is likely to be:
Answer: Inadmissible because it was coerced
Confessions obtained through physical deprivation are considered coerced and involuntary, making them inadmissible.