Scenario Project: Investigative Plan Essay

Introduction

In recent times, there has been an increase in the number of robberies undertaken in Brooklyn, a region that continues to experience high rates of daytime and night robbery crimes, mainly perpetrated by people armed with guns.

The robbers target various people in undertaking their actions; for instance, they may target vulnerable people, mostly women some of whom may be in public places. Although numerous cases of such kind of robberies have been reported to the relevant authorities, the people in neighborhoods of Brooklyn feel insecure and they have taken measures to ensure their ultimate security.

However, to avert a rise in the robberies, the police must take swift measures to ensure the security of the citizens and bring to book those who have committed robbery offences so that they may be charged in the courts. The punishment of the offenders of the crimes will also help in discouraging other people from engaging in the vices, thus ensuring improvement of the ultimate security of the residents and the neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Robbery investigation process

Any form of crime investigation essentially involves the act of collecting information through the process of applying sound reasoning, analyzing the information collected to answer the questions or solve problems that threaten the life of the people (Sennewald and Tsukayama, 2006).

Investigation process largely involves employment of techniques such as undercover investigations, surveillance, background investigation and the variety of internal strategies that should be used to expose the crime (Sennewald and Tsukayama, 2006).

Investigation process function in collaboration where additional procedures are used to build the case including interviewing suspects and witnesses, analysis of physical evidence, obtaining statements and confessions and also useful information generated from key and reliable informants (Sennewald and Tsukayama, 2006). Robbery investigation plan should have the following details with regard to steps to follow in robbery investigation process within the Brooklyn region.

First, the Chief need to familiarize with the region’s crime trends by analyzing crime data of the region. Next, there is need to integrate all the activities being undertaken by security forces in the region by re-defining and refining of the investigative roles and skills of the security forces. After this, the next step is the need to secure and examine carefully the most prominent robbery crime scenes for appropriate generation of data and information leading to revelation of criminal activities (Kryzhanovsky, 2007).

Appropriate recording of the scenes of robbery crimes is necessary and this may be undertaken through taking photos, notes and some sketches with detailed written description of the scene with the location of evidences recovered (Kryzhanovsky, 2007). Further a critical step of collecting physical evidences will be necessary such as weapons being used in robbery, fingerprints of the suspects and also dropped items.

Next step should involve collection of confessions and eyewitness accounts which become appropriate in making plan of investigation. Another vital step should involve attempts of identifying or finding out about the kind of criminals involved in these kinds of robbery activities should be made and making of robbery suspects’ models or profiles should be another critical step.

The next step should involve analysis of expertise data and information and see how well and beneficial they can be in relation to the robbery crimes of Brooklyn region (Kryzhanovsky, 2007). Another step is the utilization of secret sources to generate useful information about crime acts in the region. Integration and cooperation with other vital divisions that are likely to contribute to the success of the investigation should be another key step undertaken (Kryzhanovsky, 2007).

Supportive steps that will add some back-up effort to these investigation processes will involve the Chief increasing activities of installing surveillance cameras in critical points around the Brooklyn area; increasing crime scene-processing teams; rewarding information contributed by the general population of the region; promoting the creation and use of interactive crime prevention websites; and more importantly establishing mechanisms of conducting regular public education to the general population of the region (Brown, 2001).

Technological assistance in robbery crimes

Technology assistance in crime investigation especially involving robbery crimes involves lab forensic investigation and testing. Forensic investigation will involve examination of robbery scene evidences left behind by the robbers which may include fingerprints (Newton and French, 2007).

Violent robbery crimes may leave bloodstains at the robbery scene and this becomes critical in forensic DNA profiling (Newton and French, 2007). When gunshots are involved forensic ballistics testing becomes necessary and this is enabled by the use of Integrated Ballistics Identification System to identify the type of cartridge to suspects’ firearms (Newton and French, 2007). Stolen cash can be identified by the use of forensic computerized serialized numbers for the cash.

Measures of analyzing patterns of robbery crime

Crime mapping has become critical aspect of addressing any form of crime, Crime maps indicate and shows the frequency of crime, and the hottest locations for crimes (Piquero and Weisburd, 2009). Further measures to ensure accuracy of the crime maps has been use of the location quotients which in more details show and reveal the distribution of crime activities (Piquero and Weisburd, 2009).

Other more predictive crime activity measures involves use of the predictive mapping where such tools as crime prediction accuracy index have been used and in the end have provided clarity analysis of finding out predictive crime mapping that is both statistically and empirically robust (Piquero and Weisburd, 2009).

Process of synthesizing robbery data and making conclusion

Robbery investigation will eventually lead to generation and accumulation of data which in turn will need to be synthesized in order to make vital and necessary conclusions. Longitudinal synthesis of data has been preferred as the best methodology in arriving at concise conclusion and recommendations for adoption.

Data synthesis involves process of building knowledge that in turn constitutes several steps. An effective approach is that of analysis of statistical results which constitute a process known as meta-analysis (McGuire, 2004). The process is further backed and enriched by secondary analysis.

After the meta-analysis has been done the results are reported in the form of a general outcome variable known as effect size where correlation coefficient become prominent and effective which largely shows close association between two variables (McGuire, 2004). The correlations are worked on through computations specifically through examining their averages leading to systematic conclusions about the relative strengths of different patterns of associations related to the robbery crime.

Appropriate investigative units to catch robbery perpetrators

The most investigative units to zero-round robbery criminal will constitute criminal profiling processes that involves the use of available information about a crime and crime scene to curve out and try to identify the psychological characteristics of the unknown perpetrator of the crime.

Crime profiling generally involves generating information about the scene of the crime, state of the crime scene, kind of weapons used, and how victims were injured. Other critical information includes location pattern of crimes, how the offender got to and from the crime scene and where the offender lives (Bartol and Bartol, 2006).

In carrying out effective crime profiling with ambition to zero-round the offender it is always advisable to use multiple techniques of crime profiling and numerous suggestions have indicated that diagnostic evaluation, crime scene analysis and investigative psychology when accurately carried out can lead to identifying the offender of robbery crime or any other type of crime (Bartol and Bartol, 2006).

Equipment to support the process of robbery investigation

Robbery investigation to generate or confirm particular information will need certain supportive equipment. At the same time the process of investigation might be a risky undertaking that will require protective equipment. As such, certain specific equipments are needed to provide support to the process of robbery investigation.

Equipment to be purchased include: raid jackets, rams, protective weapons, flashlights, protective body armor, first aid kits, and many more (Brown, 2001). On overall, efficient and effective forensic laboratory equipment will be needed and their purchase will be a great step in addressing robbery in the region.

Conclusion

Addressing the issue of robbery inBrooklyn area will largely be realized through formulation and development of an effective robbery investigation plan. Further the success of the plan will depend on the collaboration efforts of key department involved in the issue, allocation of adequate resources to facilitate and implement the plan, adoption of appropriate technology and the general determination of the security personnel involved in the area.

References

Bartol, C. R. and Bartol, A. M. (2006). Current perspectives in forensic psychology and criminal justice. New York: SAGE.

Brown, M. F. (2001). Criminal investigation: law and practice. New York: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Kryzhanovsky, M. (2007). White House special handbook: how to rule the world in the 21st century. New York: Algora Publishing.

McGuire, J. (2004). Understanding psychology and crime: perspectives on theory and action. London: McGraw-Hill International.

Newton, M. and French, J. L. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Crime Scene Investigation. New York: InfoBase Publishing.

Piquero, A. and Weisburd, D. (2009). Handbook of Quantitative Criminology. New York: Springer.

Sennewald, C. A. and Tsukayama, J. K. (2006). The process of investigation: concepts and strategies for investigators in the private sector. New York: Butterworth-Heinemann.