PCI Case Management & Documentation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When an investigator receives a new case assignment, what should be the FIRST action taken?
- Begin conducting surveillance immediately
- Review the case file and identify investigative objectives (Correct answer)
- Contact the subject of the investigation
- Request additional resources from management
Correct answer: Review the case file and identify investigative objectives
Reviewing the case file and identifying objectives ensures the investigator understands the scope before taking any action.
Question 2: Which document serves as the primary legal authority authorizing an investigation?
- Incident report
- Case management plan
- Authorization letter or retainer agreement (Correct answer)
- Surveillance log
Correct answer: Authorization letter or retainer agreement
An authorization letter or retainer agreement establishes the legal basis and scope under which an investigator may act.
Question 3: A case management system should track which of the following for each case?
- Only the final outcome of the investigation
- Key dates, assigned personnel, status, and deadlines (Correct answer)
- Personal opinions of the investigator about the subject
- Only financial billing records
Correct answer: Key dates, assigned personnel, status, and deadlines
Effective case management systems capture operational details including dates, personnel, status, and deadlines to ensure accountability.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a chain of custody document in an investigation?
- To summarize the investigator's conclusions
- To record every person who handled evidence and when (Correct answer)
- To document witness interview schedules
- To authorize surveillance activities
Correct answer: To record every person who handled evidence and when
Chain of custody documentation tracks every person who possessed, transferred, or examined evidence to preserve its integrity.
Question 5: When documenting a witness interview, investigators should record:
- Only information that supports the investigative theory
- Verbatim statements, date, time, location, and witness identification (Correct answer)
- A general summary without specific details
- Only the witness's contact information
Correct answer: Verbatim statements, date, time, location, and witness identification
Complete interview documentation including verbatim statements and identifying details ensures accuracy and legal defensibility.
Question 6: Case files should be secured to prevent unauthorized access primarily because:
- They contain billing information
- They contain sensitive personal data and privileged investigative information (Correct answer)
- They are required for tax purposes
- They must be shared with all law enforcement agencies
Correct answer: They contain sensitive personal data and privileged investigative information
Case files contain confidential subject data and privileged work product that could compromise the investigation or harm individuals if disclosed.
Question 7: When multiple cases share similar characteristics, an investigator should:
- Combine them into one case file to save time
- Look for linkage but maintain separate case files for each (Correct answer)
- Prioritize only the most recent case
- Close older cases to focus resources
Correct answer: Look for linkage but maintain separate case files for each
Identifying linkage between cases can advance multiple investigations while maintaining separate files preserves individual case integrity.
PCI Case Management & Documentation 2
When an investigator receives a new case assignment, what should be the FIRST action taken?