,Chapter 1: Criminal Investigation: An Overview
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The Latin term that means “to track or trace” and that relates most closely with contemporary police
investigations is
a. nolo contendere.
b. voir dire.
c. vestigare.
d. certiorari.
e. subpoena.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 8
OBJ: Describe what criminal investigation is.
2. Which term describes a logical process in which a conclusion follows from specific facts?
a. voir dire
b. deductive reasoning
c. circumstantial evidence
d. Locard’s principle of exchange
e. latent investigations
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 8
OBJ: Describe what criminal investigation is.
3. According to the text, most cases that are lost are lost during what part of the investigation?
a. in the first hour c. in the forensic lab
b. before the 911 call is ever made d. when witnesses recant testimony
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 14
OBJ: Discuss what should be done initially at a crime scene.
4. Spontaneous statements uttered by a suspect at the time of a crime, concerning and closely related to
actions involved in the crime, are referred to as what type of statements?
a. in flagrante delicto c. res gestae
b. exculpatory d. uttering
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 19
OBJ: Define the meaning and importance of res gestae statements.
5. In cases where officers were not able to complete the investigation for some reason, what may be
required?
a. redaction c. motion to dismiss
b. follow-up investigation d. waiver of a speedy trial
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 22
OBJ: Discuss who is responsible for solving crimes.
6. According to the text, when both the public and other professions within the justice system have
unrealistic expectations of CSI abilities, law enforcement agencies are said to be suffering from what?
a. Grissom effect c. CSI effect
b. TV syndrome d. Peel disturbance
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 22
, OBJ: Describe how to determine whether a crime has been committed.
7. Crime mapping focuses on
a. hot spots where crime occurs.
b. developing leads through the use of city maps and districts.
c. the use of maps to direct officers to the scene.
d. triangulating cell phone usage with criminal activity.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 24
OBJ: Discuss who is responsible for solving crimes.
8. The act of sifting through the mountains of available information to find the data that pertains to an
investigator’s case is referred to as
a. data dumping.
b. motion to allow discovery from defense.
c. data banking.
d. data mining.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 25
OBJ: Discuss who is responsible for solving crimes.
9. Problem-oriented policing places a high value on new responses that are more
a. task oriented. c. preventive.
b. aggressive. d. assertive.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 25
OBJ: Discuss who is responsible for solving crimes.
10. Determining the optimal case assignment load, determining what factors are needed to solve crimes
and reducing the number of crimes assigned for investigations that cannot be solved are all ways to
increase
a. investigative productivity. c. partnership with the community.
b. an officer’s workload. d. data collection.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 26
OBJ: Discuss who is responsible for solving crimes.
11. The initial contact with law enforcement in a criminal investigation is usually made between a citizen
and a
a. patrol officer. c. dispatcher.
b. civilian report taker. d. investigator.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 28
OBJ: Explain with whom investigators must relate.
12. Whose staff can provide information and advice to investigators about legal issues, search and seizure,
warrants, confessions and admissibility of evidence?
a. defense counsel c. prosecutor
b. ACLU d. federal task force
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 28
OBJ: Explain with whom investigators must relate.
13. Medical examiners and coroners’ (ME/C) offices provide death investigation services locally and are
responsible for what type of investigation of deaths?
a. autopsies c. medicolegal
, b. crime scene reconstruction d. all of these choices
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 29
OBJ: Explain with whom investigators must relate.
14. Because definitions of crimes and their penalties vary considerably depending on where they occur,
investigators must be familiar with
a. local ordinances, county ordinances and state statutes.
b. zoning laws.
c. geographical boundaries of the local area.
d. all of these choices.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 10
OBJ: Describe what criminal investigation is.
15. A criminal’s modus operandi is the details of
a. a criminal’s multiple ordinance violations.
b. how, when and where a criminal usually operates.
c. a multiple regression analysis to determine the suspect’s operating methods.
d. a criminal’s motive and opportunity.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 10
OBJ: Describe what criminal investigation is.
16. A logical process of investigation includes
a. delegating assigned tasks, deciding who completes the initial investigation and then
turning the work over to the supervisor.
b. interrogating witnesses, taking numerous photos at the scene of the crime, interviewing the
suspect and taking accurate notes of the process.
c. obtaining physical evidence legally, effectively interviewing witnesses, legally and
effectively interrogating suspects, thoroughly developing leads and recording all details.
d. developing, arresting and prosecuting a suspect.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 11
OBJ: Define the major goals of criminal investigation.
17. A fact is
a. an action, an event, a circumstance or an actual thing done.
b. a process of reasoning.
c. an action based on the known facts.
d. something that is known to all.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 13
OBJ: Describe what effective investigators do.
18. An inference is
a. an assumption.
b. a process of reasoning by which a fact may be deduced.
c. an appropriate method of moving to the solution of the crime.
d. an expectation of guilt.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 13
OBJ: Describe what effective investigators do.
19. What type of response time is necessary to increase the probability of arrest at the scene?
a. one minute or less c. five to ten minutes
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The Latin term that means “to track or trace” and that relates most closely with contemporary police
investigations is
a. nolo contendere.
b. voir dire.
c. vestigare.
d. certiorari.
e. subpoena.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 8
OBJ: Describe what criminal investigation is.
2. Which term describes a logical process in which a conclusion follows from specific facts?
a. voir dire
b. deductive reasoning
c. circumstantial evidence
d. Locard’s principle of exchange
e. latent investigations
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 8
OBJ: Describe what criminal investigation is.
3. According to the text, most cases that are lost are lost during what part of the investigation?
a. in the first hour c. in the forensic lab
b. before the 911 call is ever made d. when witnesses recant testimony
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 14
OBJ: Discuss what should be done initially at a crime scene.
4. Spontaneous statements uttered by a suspect at the time of a crime, concerning and closely related to
actions involved in the crime, are referred to as what type of statements?
a. in flagrante delicto c. res gestae
b. exculpatory d. uttering
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 19
OBJ: Define the meaning and importance of res gestae statements.
5. In cases where officers were not able to complete the investigation for some reason, what may be
required?
a. redaction c. motion to dismiss
b. follow-up investigation d. waiver of a speedy trial
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 22
OBJ: Discuss who is responsible for solving crimes.
6. According to the text, when both the public and other professions within the justice system have
unrealistic expectations of CSI abilities, law enforcement agencies are said to be suffering from what?
a. Grissom effect c. CSI effect
b. TV syndrome d. Peel disturbance
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 22
, OBJ: Describe how to determine whether a crime has been committed.
7. Crime mapping focuses on
a. hot spots where crime occurs.
b. developing leads through the use of city maps and districts.
c. the use of maps to direct officers to the scene.
d. triangulating cell phone usage with criminal activity.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 24
OBJ: Discuss who is responsible for solving crimes.
8. The act of sifting through the mountains of available information to find the data that pertains to an
investigator’s case is referred to as
a. data dumping.
b. motion to allow discovery from defense.
c. data banking.
d. data mining.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 25
OBJ: Discuss who is responsible for solving crimes.
9. Problem-oriented policing places a high value on new responses that are more
a. task oriented. c. preventive.
b. aggressive. d. assertive.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 25
OBJ: Discuss who is responsible for solving crimes.
10. Determining the optimal case assignment load, determining what factors are needed to solve crimes
and reducing the number of crimes assigned for investigations that cannot be solved are all ways to
increase
a. investigative productivity. c. partnership with the community.
b. an officer’s workload. d. data collection.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 26
OBJ: Discuss who is responsible for solving crimes.
11. The initial contact with law enforcement in a criminal investigation is usually made between a citizen
and a
a. patrol officer. c. dispatcher.
b. civilian report taker. d. investigator.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 28
OBJ: Explain with whom investigators must relate.
12. Whose staff can provide information and advice to investigators about legal issues, search and seizure,
warrants, confessions and admissibility of evidence?
a. defense counsel c. prosecutor
b. ACLU d. federal task force
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 28
OBJ: Explain with whom investigators must relate.
13. Medical examiners and coroners’ (ME/C) offices provide death investigation services locally and are
responsible for what type of investigation of deaths?
a. autopsies c. medicolegal
, b. crime scene reconstruction d. all of these choices
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 29
OBJ: Explain with whom investigators must relate.
14. Because definitions of crimes and their penalties vary considerably depending on where they occur,
investigators must be familiar with
a. local ordinances, county ordinances and state statutes.
b. zoning laws.
c. geographical boundaries of the local area.
d. all of these choices.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 10
OBJ: Describe what criminal investigation is.
15. A criminal’s modus operandi is the details of
a. a criminal’s multiple ordinance violations.
b. how, when and where a criminal usually operates.
c. a multiple regression analysis to determine the suspect’s operating methods.
d. a criminal’s motive and opportunity.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 10
OBJ: Describe what criminal investigation is.
16. A logical process of investigation includes
a. delegating assigned tasks, deciding who completes the initial investigation and then
turning the work over to the supervisor.
b. interrogating witnesses, taking numerous photos at the scene of the crime, interviewing the
suspect and taking accurate notes of the process.
c. obtaining physical evidence legally, effectively interviewing witnesses, legally and
effectively interrogating suspects, thoroughly developing leads and recording all details.
d. developing, arresting and prosecuting a suspect.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 11
OBJ: Define the major goals of criminal investigation.
17. A fact is
a. an action, an event, a circumstance or an actual thing done.
b. a process of reasoning.
c. an action based on the known facts.
d. something that is known to all.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 13
OBJ: Describe what effective investigators do.
18. An inference is
a. an assumption.
b. a process of reasoning by which a fact may be deduced.
c. an appropriate method of moving to the solution of the crime.
d. an expectation of guilt.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 13
OBJ: Describe what effective investigators do.
19. What type of response time is necessary to increase the probability of arrest at the scene?
a. one minute or less c. five to ten minutes
