Criminal Investigation and Case Management
Criminal Investigation and Case Management
This domain tests whether you can turn a report into a lawful, documented, resourced investigation. The exam favors practical sequencing: define the alleged offense, identify its elements, build a case theory, and record every decision that affects evidence or rights.
Core rules and concepts
- Start with jurisdiction and elements. A theft inquiry differs from a child exploitation or death investigation because the legal elements, preservation priorities, and required notifications differ.
- Write an investigative plan with objectives, leads, assignments, deadlines, and review points. A lead is useful only if it can be tested and documented.
- Keep a case file that separates raw evidence, analysis, and administrative material. Record negative leads and why an avenue was closed; they show diligence and help later reviewers.
- Coordinate early with legal counsel, forensic examiners, victim advocates, and command points of contact. Case management includes resources, not just paperwork.
- Use solvability factors such as witness availability, physical evidence, identifiable suspect, and linkage to other cases to prioritize without closing viable inquiries prematurely.
Worked example
A government laptop disappears from a barracks supply office. The plan should first establish the property's status and loss elements, secure access logs and camera footage, identify persons with keys, and schedule interviews before memories fade. The case theory might be insider theft, but the plan must also test misplacement, unauthorized transfer, and false report. Each lead gets an owner and a record.
Traps
Tunnel vision; confusing suspicion with proof; failing to document why leads were dropped; letting command pressure dictate investigative conclusions; and treating a closed case file as a filing task rather than an audit trail.