Q&A Hero

Q: The purpose of a marker in a photograph is to show the location of the specific object being photographed.

Q: Notes are not admissible in court.

Q: Evidence not discernible to the naked eye can be detected by laser-beam photography.

Q: Digital photographs can create a virtual scene similar to Pictometry.

Q: These cameras are specially constructed to take pictures of fingerprints without distortion. They provide their own light through four bulbs, one in each corner. Removing a bulb from any corner provides slanted lighting to show fingerprint ridge detail. They are a. tripod cameras. b. fingerprint cameras. c. backlit cameras. d. blacklight cameras.

Q: According to the Handbook of Forensic Services, what should be used when photographing latent prints? a. flash and marker b. ruler and a pencil c. tripod and cable release d. macrolens and flashlight set at an oblique angle

Q: What should be photographed first? a. the deceased b. weapons c. fragile evidence d. witnesses

Q: A major advance is the ability of computer software to stitch together digital photos of 180 degrees or more to create one 360-degree photoa panoramic view of a crime scene that is interactive, allowing viewers, including jury members, to walk through it as though they were there. This type of 360-degree photographic view is called a. an aerial view. b. an exploded view. c. immersive imaging. d. walkthrough imaging.

Q: Which type of photograph would best capture the immediate crime scene and the location of objects in the area or room? a. long-range shot b. medium-range shot c. close-range shot d. none of these choices

Q: Record in notes the following items at the crime scene: a. services rendered. b. weather conditions. c. name, address and phone number of every person present. d. all of these choices.

Q: Which of the following statements about photographic resolution is not true? a. Resolution is commonly quantified by pixels. b. An image photographed with a high-resolution camera, if printed on a low-resolution printer, will not show fine detail clearly. c. A megapixel is roughly equivalent to a thousand dots. d. A low-resolution image, if enlarged too much, will lose quality.

Q: A sketch drawn or personally witnessed by an investigator that accurately portrays a crime scene and that is allowed into evidence is referred to as what type of sketch? a. freehand b. exculpatory c. admissible d. courtroom

Q: Providing proof that the image introduced into evidence is the same image taken at the crime scene is referred to as a. redundancy. b. image authentication. c. concrete evidence. d. pictometry.

Q: Crime scene photographs are a. substitutes for sketches. b. substitutes for notes. c. better than sketches. d. none of these choices.

Q: In which direction should the top of a sketch be oriented? a. west b. north c. south d. east

Q: Which process would enlarge the evidence to be viewed? a. microphotography b. macrophotography c. paleontology d. odontology

Q: Which type of photography is often used to establish the identity of a subject, a location and in some cases criminal behavior? a. surveillance b. infra-red c. digital d. mobile

Q: Showing the relationship between evidence on the walls and the floors of a room, by flattening out the walls on the sketch, allowing the viewer to look straight down into the sketch, is best done using which of the following methods? a. compass-point b. cross-projection c. rectangular-coordination d. doll-house

Q: Writing on the back of your photographs to identify them later is referred to as a. stacking. b. backing. c. cataloging. d. back-dating.

Q: This type of photography may be best used for extensive, large-scale, outside areas: a. flash photography. b. aerial photography. c. painting with light. d. walking flash.

Q: Photographs should be taken in the following order: a. specific objects, specific area, general area. b. specific area, general area, specific objects. c. general area, specific area, specific objects. d. micro to macro in all cases.

Q: Many agencies fail to do this with those tasked with videotaping a crime scene: a. provide enough videotape. b. provide adequate training. c. provide adequate supervision. d. provide enough portable power sources.

Q: Sketch all serious crime and crash scenes a. after taking photographs. b. before anything is moved. c. both after taking photographs and before anything is moved. d. neither after taking photographs nor before anything is moved.

Q: Photographs should be taken a. before officers leave the scene. b. only after the investigators complete a crime scene sketch. c. before tending to emergencies, to show the "true" scene as officers found it. d. before anything is disturbed.

Q: Admissible photographs must be a. noninflammatory. b. material. c. relevant. d. all of these choices.

Q: The main problem with night photography is a. lack of color. b. shadows. c. the cost of calling out a photographer. d. proper illumination.

Q: According to a national video forensics expert, what is the "new DNA for law enforcement"? a. fingerprints b. tire tracks c. footprints d. video analysis

Q: Which of the following is not a disadvantage of photographs? a. They do not show actual distances. b. They are not selective. c. They may be distorted. d. Photographs are always admissible in court.

Q: Which type of camera is more likely to result in convictions? a. Polaroid b. medium-format camera c. point-and-shoot camera d. video camera

Q: The Bertillon identification system includes a. a written description of a person. b. a person's complete criminal record. c. a photograph. d. both a written description of a person and a photograph.

Q: The photographic technique in which a scene is photographed clockwise, with the first picture showing a specific object on one side of the photograph and the next picture showing the same object on the opposite side of the photograph, is called a. scoping. b. cross-projection photography. c. overlapping. d. triangulation.

Q: Which plotting method establishes a straight line from one fixed point to another fixed point from which measurements are taken at right angles? a. baseline b. rectangular-coordinate c. triangulation d. cross-projection

Q: The amount of notes taken is determined by a. the conditions of each case. b. whether the crime is a felony or not. c. department policy and procedure. d. calls for service.

Q: The basic purpose of field notes is to a. show the officer was at the scene. b. show the date and time of the incident. c. record all facts of the incident. d. all of these choices.

Q: Which of the following does a crime scene sketch accomplish? a. accurately portrays the physical facts b. relates to the sequence of events at the scene c. establishes the precise location and relationship of objects and evidence at the scene d. all of these choices

Q: Types of investigative photography include a. crime scene and mug shots. b. aerial, night and laboratory pictures. c. lineup photographs and those related to crime scenes. d. all of these choices.

Q: When taking photographs/videotape, the investigator should a. take the primary points of concern or interest. b. take only those shots wanted by the prosecutor. c. examine the scene from all sides and take only the sides of the crime scene that show the best view. d. take sufficient photographs and/or videotape to reconstruct the entire scene.

Q: One of the disadvantages of photographs is that a. they can be taken immediately and thus the crime scene processors have not prepared the scene. b. they are not selective. c. they are not admissible into court. d. they are only allowed in court if black and white.

Q: When taking notes, the investigator should a. ignore unimportant items. b. write only the important items. c. learn to select key facts and record them in abbreviated form. d. never take notes but always memorize things verbatim and record them later.

Q: Record all information that helps to answer the questions of a. Who? What? Which? When? How? and Why? b. Who? What? Where? When? How? and Why? c. Which? When? Why? Where? and How many? d. Why? When? and Why or why not?

Q: Which are permanent written records of the facts of a case to be used in further investigation, in writing reports and in prosecuting the case? a. field notes b. tape recordings c. investigative notes d. stenographer notes

Q: Clarify the role and relationship investigators should have with the media and explain why this role is necessary.

Q: What is the purpose of case screening?

Q: What are several ways to implement AVL/GPS technology in police work? In your answer, define AVL and GPS and describe their use.

Q: Discuss the advantage of geographic profiling in a criminal investigation. Include a definition of the phrase "least effort" in your discussion.

Q: What's the difference between crime mapping and location intelligence?

Q: What is the role of medical examiners and coroners?

Q: As a police investigator, what is one of the best ways to avoid lawsuits or to defend oneself if sued?

Q: Leaving out exculpatory evidence may lead to what sanctions?

Q: What legal statute states that anyone who acts under the authority of law and who violates another person's constitutional rights can be sued?

Q: Protection against lawsuits includes what four elements?

Q: 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.

Q: After emergencies are dealt with, what are the first and most important functions of a first responder?

Q: What are some characteristics of effective investigators?

Q: What are the major goals of a criminal investigation?

Q: What is the real purpose of a criminal investigation?

Q: Investigators can use _______ tests to develop and lift fingerprints; discover flammable substances through vapor and fluid examination; detect drugs, explosive substances on hands or clothing, imprints of firearms on hands or bullet-hole residue; and conduct many other tests.

Q: If no crime has been committedfor example, the matter is a _________ rather than a criminal situationthe victim should be told how to obtain assistance.

Q: 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.

Q: The motto of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency was, "We never ____________."

Q: In what year was DNA first used in a criminal case in England to prove the innocence of a defendant? __________

Q: What was discovered in 1868 that changed scientific investigations forever? _________

Q: Successful investigations balance between ___________ acquired by study and experience and the skills acquired by the artful application of learned techniques.

Q: Determining the __________ is more important than obtaining a conviction or closing a case.

Q: One of the goals of criminal investigations is to present the best possible case to the ____________.

Q: The term MO means ________________________.

Q: Criminal investigation is a reconstructive process that uses _________ reasoning, which is a logical process in which a conclusion follows from specific facts.

Q: 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.

Q: DNA was discovered in 1968 in England.

Q: To demonstrate national unity in criminal statutes using the Model Penal Code, shoplifting is a felony in all states.

Q: Community policing is a true philosophical shift rather than simply a program or set of programs.

Q: 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.

Q: 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."

Q: Before any in-custody interrogation, an officer must read the Miranda warning to a suspect.

Q: 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.

Q: CompStat is a word that means computer statistics or comparison statistics.

Q: A crime scene must be protected until a suspect goes to trial.

Q: Scientific evidence supports a belief that eyewitness identification is very credible, reliable and is responsible for solving many crimes.

Q: Inquiries to the police from the defense counsel about a case should be referred to the prosecutor's office.

Q: The specialty of a forensic specialist is the organized scientific collection and processing of evidence.