The text covers the legal authority, procedures, and latest techniques for public and private investigations of criminal, civil, and regulatory cases. Its scope includes legal and operational information on police investigative units; case management procedures; and techniques for uncovering law violations ranging from street crimes to organized and corporate crimes, including insurance fraud, terrorist acts, corruption, drug smuggling, and many more. The book introduces basic investigative principles and defines the legal authority of police, security officers, and regulatory and insurance investigators. More than 60 experts (FBI agents, detectives, law professors, security managers, and others) contributed to the text. Chapters outline stop-and-frisk and search-and-seizure laws (as well as others that must be understood to bring a case to conviction) and explain the roles of the grand jury and the investigator in court and process serving. Police procedures at the scene of the crime and afterwards, and the detective division's organization and operations are explained (including forensic and intelligence operations). Contributors suggest techniques for obtaining information from individuals (including informants) through interviews and interrogations, polygraph and media investigations, hypnosis, and genealogy. Chapters discuss investigations of specific business crimes involving computers, unions, nursing homes and other Medicaid providers, credit cards, prescription drugs, and insurance frauds. The text also describes investigations of sexual assaults, homicide, extortion, art thefts, drug operations, and hostage taking. A model case management plan, a checklist for investigative notetaking, information sources and sample contact letters, and eyewitness identification methods are included, as well as discussions of 'sting' operations, time of death determinations, investigations of environmental problems (such as chemical fires), and other specific working aids.

The manner in which criminal investigators are trained is neither uniform nor consistent, ranging from sophisticated training protocols in some departments to on-the-job experience alongside senior investigators in others. Ideal for students taking a first course in the subject as well as professionals in need of a refresher, Introduction to Criminal Investigation uses an accessible format to convey concepts in practical, concrete terms. Topics discussed include: The history of criminal investigation in Western society Qualifications for becoming an investigator, the selection process, and ideal training requirements Crime scene search techniques, including planning and post-search debriefing Preparing effective field notes and investigative reports Interviewing and interrogating Types of evidence found at the crime scene and how to collect, package, and preserve it The contributions of forensic science to criminal investigations and the equipment used in crime labs Investigative protocol for a range of crimes, including property crimes, auto theft, arson, financial crimes, homicide, assault, sex crimes, and robbery Specialized investigations, including drug trafficking, cybercrime, and gang-related crime Legal issues involved in criminal investigations and preparing a case for trial Bringing together contributions from law enforcement personnel, academics, and attorneys, the book combines practical and theoretical elements to provide a comprehensive examination of today‘s criminal investigative process. The accessible manner in which the information is conveyed makes this an ideal text for a wide-ranging audience.

The way a crime is defined is through criminal investigation. Criminal investigation is a multi-faceted effort that involves the study of facts presented by a criminal act or pattern of criminal conduct. These facts are then used to identify, locate and prove the guilt or innocence of a person or persons. Criminal investigation is usually carried out by a law enforcement agency using all of the resources available to discover, locate or establish evidence proving and verifying the relevant facts for presentation to a Court or other judicial authority. But how are these facts discovered? What resources do law enforcement use to uncover them? What is the process for a successful criminal investigation? In fact, how can we even define what is “criminal” in the first place? Daniel A. Reilly answers all these important questions, while providing the step by step process to gather facts, information, data, and evidence. Finding the Truth with Criminal Investigation is intended to answer all of the questions of who, what, where, when, why and how a violent crime occurred and/or was committed. It is intended for students in the field of criminal justice who wish to become criminal investigators – exposing them to the tools and processes needed to conduct a proper criminal investigation, but also real-life of working to support others as a team. Reilly spent a great deal of his professional life working on homicide cases, and he offers students his expertise in criminal investigation by successfully incorporating real-world context throughout this book.

Aimed at the busy professional who aspires to become certified in the field, Criminal Investigation for the Professional Investigator details essential techniques a trained investigator will be called upon to perform during the course of a career. The book is authored by a veteran of the NYPD who went on to launch and operate two successful private investigation agencies. It covers crime scenes, death investigations, the art of interrogation, and specific criminal investigations. It also provides important strategies for making arrests and testifying in courtrooms, details the most effective investigative tools to use, and explains the role of criminal defense investigators.