Essay

UNIT 1 Journal

Discuss how television and media have impacted your view of criminal investigation. What television show or program had the greatest impact on your view of criminal investigation and law enforcement? If you are currently in law enforcement, have television and media changed your views in some way? If you are aspiring to enter the criminal justice field, how has it influenced your decision?

Unit 1 Case Study

· In order to prepare for this case study, you will need to review the section titled “From the Case File: The Investigation of the Washington, D.C., Beltway Snipers” in your textbook on pages 1–5. In your case study response, you will address the following:

· Illustrate the role and function of detectives in the Washington, D.C., Beltway Sniper case as they would have occurred in the political era, the reform era, and for the community problem-solving era.

· Explain the four stages of the reactive investigation process related to the Beltway Sniper case.

· In just about any criminal investigation, there are mental errors (i.e., confirmation bias, selective information processing, and overconfidence bias), and the Beltway Sniper case is no different. Determine how mental errors are evident in this case.

· In this unit, you learned the three potential problems with evidence in criminal investigations. What are the three problems with evidence in this case? Explain.

Each section of your case study must be clearly labeled using the following section headings:

· Policing Eras

· Reactive Investigation Process

· Mental Errors

· Problems

Your case study must be at least two pages in length, not counting the cover page and reference page. The only source you need to cite for this case study is your textbook.

Unit II Journal – Must be at least 200 words

Imagine that you are working with another police officer to investigate a crime. The officer you are working with believes that the individual you are investigating is guilty, but there is no real evidence linking him to the crime. In order to ensure prosecution of the individual in question, your coinvestigator makes up evidence and presents it as factual, which results in a conviction of the individual. What is your opinion about what the officer did? Do you believe that the end justifies the means? Why, or why not?