Assignment 1: Crime Scene Investigation
Due Week 3 and worth 160 points

Preliminary investigations do not necessarily yield enough information to prosecute a criminal case. Despite a thorough preliminary investigation, many cases require a follow – up investigation. Use your textbook, the Internet, and / or Strayer Library to research articles on crime scene investigation.

Write a three (3) page paper in which you:

1.Assemble a set of guidelines on conducting preliminary investigation for a criminal case.
2.Propose one (1) strategy that criminal investigators should take in order to conduct an efficient follow-up investigation. Provide a rationale to support your response.
3.Select two major crimes (e.g. sudden deaths, sex related crimes) and compare and contrast the key differences in reporting the two major crimes that you selected.
4.Determine the three (3) most important characteristics of an effective criminal investigator and discuss the importance of each characteristic you determined.
5.Support or critique the argument that the criminal investigation process should maintain the balance regarding freedom of information through media outlets and privacy rights of alleged perpetrators of crime. Provide a rationale to support your response.
6.Use at least two (2) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar type Websites do not qualify as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

•Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
•Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

•Describe the major components of and responsibilities involved in the investigative process.
•Recommend improvements to the criminal investigation process in selected areas.
• Describe the procedures for the preparation of field notes and the documentation of a crime scene.
•Use technology and information resources to conduct research in the criminal investigation process.
•Write clearly and concisely about the criminal investigation process using proper writing mechanics.
Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.