Powerpoint Slides

Criminal investigations

Introduction

A criminal investigation is a problem-solving challenge that is affecting various countries. The new security employees of an organization should be provided with a clear guide that is to enable them to conduct all criminal investigations.

During an investigation on a particular complaint received, the employer must ensure confidentiality. Confidentiality is a crucial aspect of any criminal investigation cases. The complaint or the information provided must be kept confidential to allow investigations to take place. The new employees should learn how to provide interim protection. This is where immediate measures for the protection of the victim takes place. Then there will be the selection of an investigator. This will be done basing on the ability of a person to investigate without being bias. An investigator must portray all investigation techniques. Once a company manages to get a person who has all the job descriptions of an investigator, then they are lucky.

After the criminal event is over, there is the preservation of the crime scene. This is where one is required to collect all the necessary evidence on the case or the incident and make sure that they devise an investigative plan. The plan is to be used in the investigation where it will help in determining the reasonable grounds for identifying and arresting the person responsible for the crime. As a criminal investigator, immediately after arriving at the scene of the crime, an officer is required first to make a critical decision, which at times they involve life and death. This is where one develops the interview questions. Then there will be the conducting of interviews. In an investigation, the major goal is to gather information. The best way of getting information is by asking questions. The parties involved in the investigation must answer several questions concerning the scene or the incident. The most important aspect when conducting interviews is an investigator ensuring that they elicit as much information as possible. Lastly, the investigator will be required to make a decision. The investigator should always be careful not to jump into conclusions. Before the process of making a decision, an investigator is required to go through all the evidence gathered, the actions undertaken and think about the outcome.

Then after the making of choice, they can close investigations. Preparing a final investigative report will take place at this level. An investigative report is to explain what was done and the motive of the actions. The report helps in keeping future records, which explains how and when the problem came into existence, and it shows the interviews that were conducted. Closing the investigations will need the presence of showing the evidence that was considered and the conclusions made.

Administrative & Personnel Investigations

Administrative and personnel investigations can be a stressful situation to handle. Ensure confidentiality as an employer will help the company’s future. Selecting the investigator while having an understanding of how to act as an internal and credible witness. The investigator needs to have the ability to investigate but not being bias. Create a plan for the investigation so everything can be structured. The investigation must be adequate and properly executed. Developing interview questions The planning stage, questions need to be asked at the beginning. Conducting interviews and Inform all parties about the investigation and explain the process in which the study will be completed. Focus on being objective and impartial to gather facts that are relevant to the survey. Make a decision and be careful not to jump to conclusions until all facts are presented. Closure of investigation with the employer and ensure the complainant agrees that he or she understands the results. Developing a written summary investigation result as a document. Making a document can be important to ensure that if the government agency or jury were to review.

Employment Related Investigations

Background investigations into prospective candidates for employment are some of the most important investigations that a company can organize. Pre-hire steps for candidates should include background investigations and the employment application packet. Although it is preferable to finish all background investigations before the start of employment, this sometimes leaves the candidate vulnerable to capture by other opportunistic companies if the candidate is deemed desirable (Sennewald & Tsukayama, 2015). Therefore it is not always feasible to complete all background checks before employment. However, all paperwork should be completed before employment. This includes the job application, educational/certification waivers, information authorization forms (allowing background information to be reviewed by investigation companies), and unemployment verification forms (Sennewald & Tsukayama, 2015).

Post-hire probationary period is in place for employers to observe employees and ensure that they are an adequate fit for the company (Sennewald & Tsukayama, 2015). In the event that a candidate that has a less than stellar background slips through the pre-employment screenings unscathed, the probationary period gives employers time to detect any issues the employee may demonstrate that could affect the company negatively. There is almost no point to having other investigations into loss prevention if the employees are the thieves, or are criminals of other sorts. Such criminals are unlikely to come forward with their past negative behaviors because it is within their best interests regarding employment (Sennewald & Tsukayama, 2015). These investigations, both pre- and post-hire, are the best chance that employers get at detecting individuals with the potential for violence. Workplace violence is an increasing concern to employers, as a threat to other employees as well as a potential burden for liability (Sennewald & Tsukayama, 2015). If a potentially violent candidate is taken on as an employee, they will most likely have to be cut off from the company at some point. The best time to cut off potentially violent individuals is in the probationary period, as the process only gets harder as time goes by.

Investigative Principles

Welcome all new security employees to the company, the following information will introduce all new hires to the investigative principle aspect of their security positions. New security employees are required to utilize investigative principles to fulfill daily job obligations, based on a varying degree of scenarios.

Searching

Searching provides the means for security employees to identify hazards within the immediate vicinity of their patrol area, paraphernalia such as drugs and illegal substances, as well as any trespassers who have illegally entered an unauthorized area. The searching principle is crucial during criminal investigations in finding key items that could potentially influence court proceedings.

Interviews

Interviews are another aspect of investigative principles. They enable the HR department to narrow down suspicions of insider theft through time shift reviews and staff-occupied area during that time. Backgrounds and overall history of employment are usually reliable indicators of any future offenses.

Evidence Overview

New security employees may encounter evidence throughout the electronics warehouse, that could show positive indicators that illegal activity or a crime has taken place. Instances of broken glass, physical trails across the property, and/or stains can provide legitimate grounds that a crime has taken place. It is also very important that employees review hard copies of documents and past records, that may constitute legitimate suspicions of present suspicious behavior by another employee.

Evidence Preservation

Evidence preservation is a very integral part of the investigative principle process. “When evidence is missing, damaged or inadmissible, weeks or months of investigative work may become worthless.” ("Collect Evidence That Will Hold Up In Court", 2019). All evidence that is relevant to an investigation needs to be documented and identified in a thorough manner. If evidence found by a security employee is substantiated and presented in court proceedings, vocal representation of factual and reliable information may be presented to further demonstrate the relevance of the items to the investigation.

INVESTIGATING AND DOCUMENTING WORK-RELATED INJURIES

There are several methods which can be used in the process of investigation and well as documentation of work-related injuries. Each technique used in research and documentation of work-related injuries is essential in the compensation claim process. First, it should be noted that most of the organization compensate their injured employees upon provision of the document which has the information regarding the form of injury which the employee has, this document helps in the determination of the expenses which are incurred by the employee to seek for medical care. First, in workplace injuries, documentation is helpful as it can be utilized as a significant tool for legal defense.

Proper documentation by supervisors as well as managers has a significant implication of whether the organization is going to lose a lawsuit which is related to employment. On the other hand, Documentation of work-related injury is also beneficial to the organization if by any chance an employee complains after the contract is over or they have been sucked. Proper documentation of work-related injuries helps in ensuring that such incidences do not occur in the future, and even if it happens then, the right measures are taken to ensure that the occurrences are properly mitigated before damages are caused. Lastly, proper documentation helps in providing that the truth behind an incidence is uncovered, that is, all aspects of the incidence are covered and can be presented in the right manner(Richards et al. 2016).

The methods of investigating and documentation of work-related injuries comprise of; fault tree, tripod beta, incident Bowtie. All these methods are essential as they help in ensuring that data regarding a work-related incidence are appropriately recorded for reference purposes. These methods also ensure that all the data is captured in the right manner and can be used in case the employee who is injured files a lawsuit (Dodshon & Hassall 2017).

Employee training

The objectives of employee training are to teach employees that are new to the security investigations, enhance the skills of new employees with investigative experience, and refresher training to permanent employees. New employees will be expected to participate in classroom training, tactics training, and satisfactorily passing all evaluation. Clients will then shadow a training officer or senior officer for on the job training. After an appropriate amount, the new officer will be able to handle responsibilities without being shadowed. The new employee acceptable performance of job responsibilities must be signed off by training or senior officer before the new employee can become permanent. After the employee becomes permanent, he or she will be expected to attend routine trainings and complete recertifications. Investigations may be used in asset protection, business ethics, emergency procedures and report writing. Employees main duties are protecting people, and property, which can be physical, data, and or intellectual.

References

Gehl, R., & Plecas, D. (2017). Introduction to Criminal Investigation: Processes, Practices and Thinking. Justice Institute of British Columbia.

Police, R. C. M. (2015). Criminal investigative analysis.

Sennewald, C. A., & Tsukayama, J. K. (2015). The Process of Investigations: Concepts and Strategies of Investigators in the Private Sector (4th ed.). Waltham, MA: Elsevier.