CM2S061 - From Crime Scene to Court: Investigating Crime 01 Sep 2024 - 31 Aug 2030 | Version 1
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | CM2S061 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | From Crime Scene to Court: Investigating Crime | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Life Sciences and Education | ||
| Faculty Group: | Policing and Criminology | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Policing | ||
| Module Leader: | Cheryl Allsop | ||
| Module Team: | Daniel Welch, Helen Martin, Carl Davies, Laura Mcdonagh | ||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2024 | Final Year of Intake: | 2029 |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 20 | Credit Level: | 5 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | N/A | ||
| HECOS codes: | |||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | |||
Document Version Information
| Version | 1 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2024 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2030 |
Module Aims
The aim of this module is to equip students with the essential practical knowledge and competence required for effective investigative work, encompassing a broad spectrum of investigative techniques, tactics, and contemporary methodologies from within the field of complex investigations.
Content Summary
This comprehensive module equips students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical understanding required for complex investigations in policing. The module will include the following:
- Relevant legislation for complex investigations (PACE, RIPA, CPIA, etc)
- Definitions of 'criminal investigations' and 'investigator.'
- Ethical considerations during investigations.
- Knowledge and skills required for complex investigations.
- Principles of an investigation, including life preservation, scene preservation, evidence securing, victim and suspect identification.
- Major incident room set up including an overview of MIRSAP and HOLMES
- Decision-making in investigations
- Effects of personal attitudes, stereotyping views, values, and bias on the investigation process.
- Definitions of key terminology, such as investigative mindset, best evidence, information, and intelligence.
- The stages of an investigation.
- Suspect identification
- Behavioural and geographic profiling
- Passive data
- The media and communications in complex investigations
- Considerations for specific types of investigations, i.e., homicide, missing people and the harms relating to going missing, modern slavery, exploitation, trafficking and sexual violence
- Community considerations in investigations.
- The role of internal specialists, including Crime Scene Investigator, Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), Family Liaison (FLO).
- The role of the coroner.
- Considerations when supporting different categories of victims and witnesses.
- The role of family liaison.
- Victimology
- What constitutes 'material,' 'information,' 'intelligence,' or 'evidence.'
- Evidence-gathering opportunities from victims, witnesses, suspects, crime scenes, and digital data sources.
- Role of the CPS and the legal processes
- Disclosure.
- Ethical Police Interviews
- Principles of investigative interviewing.
- Legislation related to interviews, including PACE Code E and PACE Code F.
- The cognitive interview
- PEACE interview structure and interview process, including planning, preparation, engagement, explanation, account clarification, challenge, closure, and evaluation.
- Types of justice outcomes.
- Going to court
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Practical Classes and Workshops | 36 |
| External visits (including fieldtrips) | 4 |
| Independent Study | 84 |
| Directed Study (including online independent learning) | 76 |
| Total Hours Selected | 200 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Demonstrate practical knowledge and competence in various investigative techniques and processes. |
| LO2 | Comprehensively apply investigative tactics, strategies, and contemporary methodologies, demonstrating practical knowledge and competence in the field of investigation. |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synchronous Onsite Oral Assessment | Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) 1 | Briefing / Debriefing of the strength of the evidence gathered in their ongoing investigation | 20 | N/A | 100 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |