Criminal Investigation - 212-8250 Chp 1 Test Version 1

Chapter 1 - Test Questions & Answers

Criminal Investigation - 212-8250 Chapter 1 Test Questions & Answers Part 1

KEY: Bold = Correct | Italics/Underline = Incorrect
35 of 40 Correct On This Test

1. The best investigators follow their hunches, follow leads as they come in and attack cases with a random approach so as not to miss an important clue.
1. True
2. False
2. Securing the crime scene is a major responsibility of the
1. forensic specialists
2. field supervisor
3. first officer(s) on the scene
4. dispatchers
3. Scientific evidence supports a belief that eyewitness identification is very credible, reliable and is responsible for solving many crimes.
1. True
2. False
4. Inquiries to the police from the defense counsel about a case should be referred to the prosecutor’s office.
1. True
2. False
5. A fact is
1. a process of reasoning
2. an action based on the known facts
3. something that is known to all
4. an action, an event, a circumstance or an actual thing done
6. Whose staff can provide information and advice to investigators about legal issues, search and seizure, warrants, confessions and admissibility of evidence?
1. ACLU
2. federal task force
3. prosecutor
4. defense counsel
7. The Latin term that means “to track or trace” and that relates most closely with contemporary police investigations is
1. certiorari
2. voir dire
3. nolo contedere
4. subpoena
5. vestigare
8. Which term describes a logical process in which a conclusion follows from specific facts?
1. voir dire
2. deductive reasoning
3. Locard's principle of exchange
4. circumstantial evidence
5. latent investigations
9. The act of sifting through the mountains of available information to find the data that pertains to an investigator’s case is referred to as
1. data dumping
2. motion to allow discovery from defense
3. data banking
4. data mining
10. A crime scene must be protected until a suspect goes to trial.
1. True
2. False
11. Today the majority of law enforcement agencies use some degree of geographic information systems (GIS) or mapping technology to locate callers and to provide first responders with critical information before arriving on the scene.
1. True
2. False
12. A fact is an action, an event, a circumstance or an actual thing done. In contrast, an inference is a process of reasoning by which a fact may be deduced.
1. True
2. False
13. Leaving out exculpatory evidence may lead to what sanctions?
1. Civil Liability
14. In cases where officers were not able to complete the investigation for some reason, what may be required?
1. redaction
2. waiver of a speedy trial
3. follow-up investigation
4. motion to dismiss
15. Which statement is not one of the components of CompStat?
1. relentless follow-up and assessment
2. accurate and timely intelligence
3. effective tactics
4. increase in arrests and convictions
5. rapid deployment of resources
16. An inference is
1. a process of reasoning by which a fact may be deduced
2. an appropriate method of moving to the solution of the crime
3. an expectation of guilt
4. an assumption
17. To demonstrate national unity in criminal statutes using the Model Penal Code, shoplifting is a felony in all states.
1. True
2. False
18. Problem-oriented policing places a high value on new responses that are more
1. preventive
2. assertive
3. aggressive
4. task oriented
19. Which process helps detectives use maps to understand the hunting patterns of serial criminals, to determine where these offenders might live and to identify offenders’ next likely target?
1. target hardening
2. crime mapping
3. "bull's-eye" targeting
4. crime controls
20. The initial contact with law enforcement in a criminal investigation is usually made between a citizen and a
1. patrol officer
2. civilian report taker
3. dispatcher
4. investigator
21. CompStat is a word that means computer statistics or comparison statistics.
1. True
2. False
22. In 1829 in England, Sir Henry Fielding gave birth to community policing when he stated, “The police are the public and the public are the police
1. True
2. False
23. Because definitions of crimes and their penalties vary considerably depending on where they occur, investigators must be familiar with
1. local ordinances, county ordinances and state statutes
2. zoning laws
3. geographical boundaries of the local area
4. all of these choices
24. Community policing is a philosophy that addresses public safety issues (such as crime, social disorder and fear of crime) by working through organizational strategies to support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques.
1. True
2. False
25. Community policing is a true philosophical shift rather than simply a program or set of programs.
1. True
2. False
26. The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP) mission is to facilitate cooperation, communication and coordination among federal law enforcement agencies only, and does not include local police agencies.
1. True
2. False
27. Determining the optimal case assignment load, determining what factors are needed to solve crimes and reducing the number of crimes assigned for investigations that cannot be solved are all ways to increase
1. investigative productivity
2. partnership with the community
3. an officer's workload
4. data collection
28. Res gestae statements are generally an exception to the ____________ rule because they are usually very closely related to facts and are therefore admissible in court.
1. hearsay
29. At a death scene, which would not be of immediate concern?
1. identifying witnesses
2. identifying suspects
3. identifying the body
4. preserving the crime scene
30. A basic forensic theory which holds that objects that come in contact with each other always transfer material, however minute, to each other is referred to as Locard’s principle of exchange.
1. True
2. False
31. Before any in-custody interrogation, an officer must read the Miranda warning to a suspect.
1. True
2. False
32. According to the text, most cases that are lost are lost during what part of the investigation?
1. when witnesses recant testimony
2. in the first hour
3. before the 911 call is ever made
4. in the forensic lab
33. Critical aspects of a successful investigation include thorough planning and preparation, efficient information management, a focus on effective communication and
1. a competent medical examiner to analyze the physical evidence.
2. a positive relationship with the prosecutor’s office.
3. an understanding of the need for investigative productivity.
4. advanced role definition and delineation of responsibilities.
34. The actions the first responders take at a crime scene have little to do with the value of the evidence for investigators and prosecutors.
1. True
2. False
35. A ____________ approach to case investigation involves using specialists in various fields from within a particular jurisdiction.
1. multijurisdictional
2. Multicriminalistic
3. multidisciplinary
4. Multipredictory
36. What type of statements are spontaneous statements made at the time of a crime, concerning and closely related to actions involved in the crime? They are often considered more truthful than later, planned responses.
1. Res Gestae
37. A criminal’s modus operandi is the details of
1. a multiple regression analysis to determine the suspect’s operating methods.
2. a criminal’s multiple ordinance violations.
3. how, when and where a criminal usually operates.
4. a criminal’s motive and opportunity.
38. The use of a siren to speed the response to the scene by patrol officers or investigators is sometimes of value, but the siren may cause the offender to flee the scene.
1. True
2. False
39. What was discovered in 1868 that changed scientific investigations forever?
1. DNA
40. Medical examiners and coroners’ (ME/C) offices provide death investigation services locally and are responsible for what type of investigation of deaths?
1. Autopsies
2. Crime Scene Reconstruction
3. Medicolegal
4. All of these choices