Introduction
Jack the Ripper killings were some of the most gripping serial crimes in the history of policing. One of the reasons was that the murderer was never caught. Police technologies, processes, and procedures have changed dramatically from 1888 to the present date. It is likely that in this fictional scenario where Jack has struck again in Lindseyville, CA, the police will catch him. Shown is a summary of the different responses that I would have instated if I was the chief of police.
Description of the procedures that I would instate
The first step would be homicide series identification. I would establish links between the body found and other bodies that had been killed through the use of behavioral as well as forensic science. Since the victims are all low risk and the case is developing quickly, then chances are that identification of the homicide series will be easy. It would have been more complicated if the person involved was already a high-risk victim such as a politician. This step can be enforced through networking between law enforcers and investigative agencies, information sharing and the use of alert technologies such as VICAP alerts to notify one another of crimes and criminal characteristics (Tonry, 34).
The second step would be outlining leadership roles in the murder investigations. In 1888 The Ripper cases were over-sensationalized by the media. Many stakeholders started participating in the unfolding cases and eventually added confusion to the law enforcement units. In my case as the chief of police, I would start by clearly identifying a primary mission, which would be an investigation. Thereafter, I would delegate the investigation function to a highly competent investigator in homicides. My job as the chief of police would be to ensure that the investigators possess all the necessary resources needed to carry out their functions. I would take on the role of a supervisor who would coordinate activities between investigators and higher levels of command. Communication issues between the latter parties would also be looked into, to minimize potential destructions that may result from additional administrative information. All law enforcement agencies involved will need to dedicate their personnel and resources towards the investigations. As the chief of police, I would ensure that I garner support from them and streamline communication between them too.
The next process should be an organization of the task force. In this process, a lead agency will be identified for the task force. It will be selected based on its experience and personnel. Other agencies will each have a representative within the task force. A lead investigator will work alongside the co-investigator to review all incoming information (Morton, 101). These two people will also be responsible for lead assignments. Furthermore, the lead investigators will look at crime scene information to curve out leads. The task force should use a computer system that allows enough flexibility. The main challenge with many homicide investigations is the excessive number of employees involved. I would ensure that only a small group is involved in task force formation to reduce redundancies.
The next thing that needs to be examined is communication. The importance of good communication cannot be over-emphasized in a serial murder case. I would ensure that daily briefs occur; where investigators who had worked in one shift leave information for the investigators in the next shift. I would also give some briefings to the patrol officers and concerned managers through emails or other quick communication methods. Face-to-face briefings will be done if various states have also been attacked by Jack the Ripper. Since maintenance of a database is crucial to the process of streamlining information, then the inclusion of new reports in the ViCAP database will be crucial in this process.
Data management would be the next process. The task force may likely be overwhelmed by all the information that may be trickling in. Consequently, a sound data management system needs to be used. This can be done by first creating reports as soon as leads are obtained. All reports will need to be made before the departure of the investigator who must then hand it over to the lead investigator for action. The reports would be generated by computers for efficiency. Evidence should be comprehensively collected in a murder book (an electronic or traditional book that contains all vital information in a homicide case) (Wycloff, 17).
Data management ought to be backed by the use of analytical tools. Analytical tools involve case link analysis, crime scene analysis as well as the creation of offender profiles. The Federal Bureau of Investigations has a behavioral units analysis that would help. The next issue would be the use of medical examiners. First, a joint autopsy report would be made by the various medical examiners involved in the serial cases. I would also ensure that unidentified victims are placed into the DNA database. Information should be dully coordinated between all concerned members. After working on all these components, it is likely that Jack the ripper will be found and arrested for the crimes he committed
Differences between responses in the past and current responses
Poor crime scene analysis is one of the biggest mistakes committed by the police handling the ripper cases in 1888. No protection of the crime scene was done such that the public could destroy vital evidence. Footwear impressions and patterns of blood flow were lost because of this lack of awareness. In my capacity as the chief of police, I would ensure that all the DNA sources and fibers found around the scene of the crime are collected. A thorough search of the area ought to be conducted for the collection of evidence. Unnatural pieces of evidence ought to be collected in any possible manner. Nowadays, police investigators take the time to look for anything out of the ordinary in a crime scene and this is what I would do as chief. In 1888, the concerned doctor ordered the removal of the body before the investigators were done with it. In modern times, investigators always have greater say than other third parties. As a chief of police, I would not allow the removal of the victim’s body until every possible source of evidence has been examined at the crime scene. Compilation sketches, photos, and physical evidence are also more organized today than it was in 1988 when Jack the ripper existed. I would have coordinated these functions well.
Conduction of interviews has also changed dramatically from Jack the ripper’s reign. At that time, a lot of information was collected from thousands of interviews, but the sad fact was that none of them were stored (Begg, 43). As chief of police today, I would ensure that all statements made by witnesses or suspects are recorded. Witnesses should be prodded for more information as some of them may not necessarily report everything that they saw; they may only concentrate on what they think is important to the case. Even field interviews done by the investigators would be put down in writing so that all the information can be critically analyzed.
In the late nineteenth century, fingerprinting had been invented but received very minimal attention in law enforcement. At that time, greater emphasis was given to the Bertillon system. This entailed the measurement of various body measurements such as forearms and jaws to identify victims. The major problem with this approach was that none of this information could be found at the crime scene because it belonged to the suspect and not the victim. Furthermore, no database or standard could be used to compare the information once it was found. Fingerprinting would have solved these challenges because Jack the ripper left those traces on the crime scene (Reiss, 51). I would ensure that finger imprints are recorded and compared to available standards
Forensic technology had not advanced in 1888 as it has now. Blood testing for DNA analysis was not prevalent then. There was blood found at the scene, yet all parties assumed that the blood belonged to the victim. However, Jack could have cut himself when using his knife and this blood should have been investigated for its DNA link. As a chief of police today, I would order a proper blood test to determine whether some of the blood belonged to the suspect. This would allow possible identity matches.
Conclusion
If I was the chief of police, I would have streamlined leadership, communication, and task management in the investigations. I would have preserved the crime scene adequately and would also ensure that all possible evidence is collected. Fingerprint collection would have been done. DNA tests would have been carried out to differentiate the victim’s blood from the suspect’s blood. All these approaches would have dramatically altered the outcomes as Jack the ripper would have been arrested.
Works Cited
Begg, Paul. Jack the Ripper: the facts. London: Robson books, 2007. Print.
Morton, Robert. Serial Murder: multidisciplinary perspectives for investigators. National center for the analysis of violent crime report, 2008. Print.
Reiss, Albert. Police organization in the twentieth century. Crime and justice, 4.3(2004):51. Print.
Tonry, Michael. The handbook of crime and punishment. Oxford: OUP, 2000. Print.
Wycloff, Mary. & Kelling, George. Evolving strategy of policing: case studies of strategic change. National Institute of Justice report, NCJ 198029(2002): 1-34.Print.