1. Supervise the actual crime search after preliminary review of the physical circumstances. He will direct the activities of the evidence officer in photographing, gathering, identifying, and preserving all the physical evidence.

 

2. In Murder cases, he will insure that the crime scene is preserved after the body has been removed until an autopsy has been performed and a re-inspection of the scene has been made with the pathologist, if deemed necessary.
3. Upon discovery of leads, will have lead cards prepared, assign leads for investigation, and follow-up on the results obtained.
4. Insures that prospective witnesses not located or interviewed initially are rescheduled for interview.

1. Will recommend and order the use of technicians and equipment beneficial to the

investigation.

2. Shall review all reports, including those considered non-productive to make certain that no leads are overlooked.
3. Should call meetings, or use other appropriate means, from time, to time, to brief members of the progress of the case, and should stress that no member should begin investigation of a new suspect or lead without first receiving approval for such action.
4. Shall consult with the Officer in Charge regarding legal problems which may be encountered, and keep the Officer in Charge fully informed as to progress of the investigation.
5. Shall control activities of all investigative personnel, insuring that they report their progress in assigned tasks before following any new line of inquiry.
6. Should prepare reports of difficulties encountered with regard to administrative, legal or logistical problems, and provide copies to the Directors.

He shall consult, as needed, with the Board of Directors and immediately advise them of completion or suggested discontinuance of the investigation for any reason whatsoever.

If, at any time, the squad commander learns of incompetence, misconduct, or lack of cooperation of any squad member, rendering suck member ineffective, he should immediately bring such condition to the attention of the Board of Directors for appropriate action.

1. Personnel Officer

The personnel officer, immediately upon his appointment, will survey each locality with the local agency representative and arrange suitable quarters to house the squad. He shall determine the exact location to be used as squad headquarters in each general area of operation. The equipment and facilities available at each location for such quarters should be recorded and the name, address and telephone of the individual to contact for access to the location should be recorded and maintained. Once each quarter, the personnel officer should check and determine if his information is current and correct.

The personnel officer will prepare a 4 X 6 inch index card on each officer assigned to the squad reflecting: full name, local address, telephone and the person to be contacted or notified in case of an emergency. Reverse side of the card should reflect special qualifications, linguistic abilities, familiarity with area, abilities with technical equipment, etc. This file should be kept current.

Upon notification from the squad commander, the personnel officer with the squad commander sill select and dispatch the designated number of squad members to the agency requesting assistance. The investigative supervisor, evidence officer and crime scene search personnel will report directly to the scene, but all other assigned personnel will report to squad headquarters. The personnel officer will see that all personnel are informed of the squad headquarters location and telephone number, and that the Prosecuting Attorney of the jurisdiction is informed of the squad’s activities and the location of the crime scene.

Upon completion of case assignments, the personnel officer should report to the squad headquarters immediately and advise the squad commander of each arrival and his duty status and availability. He should check each squad member’s index card for accurate information.

Explain police, press relations and other local conditions and situations to the squad furnish squad with list of pertinent information. Inform squad of established locations where gas can be obtained locally, explain parking hours and space, and periodically advise squad members of local problems pertinent to them.

Handle personal problems of squad members.

Aid in mobilizing personnel for conferences or for other purposes.

After organization and complete assembly of squad, assist squad commander in any other duties he desires.

PAGE 13

 

2. Equipment Officer

Has responsibility for the availability of all property and equipment which may be sued. Any expenditure must be approved by the Officer in Charge and the squad commander.

Must coordinate closely with the squad commander as to how the investigation is proceeding in order that equipment needs may be anticipated.

Will take all necessary action dictated by the circumstances to see that needed property will be on hand whenever a need arises. Will immediately set in motion efforts to:

1. Inventory and record pertinent equipment available for use. Equipment lists should contain location of equipment and person to authorize its use. Separate lists for each department equipment available should be maintained and kept current.
   1. Firearms, gas equipment, restraining devices.
   2. Compasses, binoculars.
   3. Lights: flash, signal, search.
   4. Photographic equipment and supplies.
   5. First-aid kits and other medical supplies.
   6. Copy equipment and supplies.
   7. Ropes and cord.
   8. City, County, State and area maps.
   9. Gasoline credit cards or vehicle servicing facilities.
   10. Thermos jugs.
   11. Technical equipment in sufficient quantity.
   12. Two-way radio cars and other communications equipment such as handi-talkies and batteries.
   13. Boots, picks, crowbars, axes, shovels.
   14. Food on a 24-hour basis.
   15. Blankets, stretcher
   16. Autos-borrow from other agencies or firms, arrange for rentals if absolutely necessary.
   17. Desks, typewriters and other office equipment, if necessary, to set up temporary headquarters.
   18. Timetables for all common carriers in the area.
   19. Airplanes (or helicopters) with all facts such as capacity, range, experience of pilot, descriptive data as to craft.
   20. Same as above for boats and skin divers.
   21. List of doctors for immediate medical attention, including doctor skilled in performing autopsy.
   22. Blackboard and chalk.
   23. Extra batteries for all battery-operated equipment.
   24. Storage area for extra property used in the investigation.
   25. Room in or near office with cots for brief rests by detectives.

   1. In addition to the above, the equipment officer should consider the advisability of:
   1. Arranging for 24-hour photographic service.
   2. Establishing extra phone service or setting up same if temporary headquarters are being established.
   3. Telephone service should bypass switchboard.

   1. The equipment officer should prepare and maintain a list of:
   1. Evidence officers and equipment in each jurisdiction.
   2. Sound recording equipment in each jurisdiction.
   3. Polygraph examiners, other than squad members, and equipment in each jurisdiction, and indicate if equipment is portable or fixed.

   1. Report Officer

   The report officer will be responsible for receiving, reviewing, editing, indexing, filing, and summarizing all case reports, and for supervising assigned clerical employees. He should also:

   1. Require each investigator to use and properly complete the forms provided for reporting.

   2. Require reports in triplicate or as required. Additional copies may be made if necessary to assist the investigative staff in its duty.

   3. Require investigators to submit individual reports for each suspect investigated.

   4. Place only productive information in the main case file. No report of

   elimination of suspects should be included in this file.

   5. Place all non-productive information (elimination of suspects etc) in a

   secondary (or bulky exhibit) file. All extraneous investigative data

   including extra copies of reports, is placed in this file.

   6. Prepare a daily or general progress report as determined by the squad

   commander.

   7. Upon termination of the squad’s participation in the investigation, prepare a

   general report of the findings, (with a resume introduction), which is indexed

   and divided according to chronology of events and categories of investigation.

   8. Upon successful solution of a case by the squad, prepare and indexed

   prosecutive summary, listing the facts of the crime, the criminal history of the

   defendant and the evidence to be presented and by whom.

   9. Serve as an historian for the entire case.
   10. Should exercise discretion in preventing disclosures possibly hampering

   future investigation or endangering witnesses.

   11. Maintain memoranda containing facts of the case, background of suspect and

   victim, including biographical data and photographs and relevant items of

   human interest.

   12. Maintain file of case news clippings for use as required.

    

    

   Page 16

   13. Serve as a liaison officer between the squad commander and the officer in

   charge relative to press releases and suggest means of using press facilities to

   assist the investigators.

   14. Prepare information for press releases, which shall be released to the various

   News media only by the Officer in Charge, who shall only release information

   agreed upon between himself and the squad commander. All press releases or

   communications to the media must be approved by the Prosecuting Attorney.

    

   1. Evidence Officer

   The evidence officer will be responsible for:

    

   1. Crime Scene Examination:

   1. Photography of the scene and each article of evidence.
   2. Scale drawing of the scene.
   3. Gathering, identification and preservation of all physical evidence.

   1. Laboratory analysis of physical evidence, and preparing for registered

   mailing of exhibits to appropriate laboratory for examination.

   2. Maintaining a register of mailed exhibits in order to trace lost or mislaid

   packages.

   3. Protect the chain of custody for all evidence.
   4. Instruct all squad personnel in handling preservation of evidence brought to

   their attention.

   5. Prepare reports setting out in detail, his activities and findings.

   7. Proper preparation for availability of equipment for marking and preservation

   of evidence.

   8. Making arrangements with the Officer in Charge for the storage and security

   of all evidence.

    

   PAGE 17

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   Part V: LEAD ASSIGNMENTS

   AND

   REPORT WRITING PROCEDURES

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   PART V

   LEAD ASSIGNMENT & REPORT WRITING PROCEDURES

   1. Lead Assignments

   The squad commander shall exclusively direct all investigative assignments. Upon the discovery of a lead or upon the need for the performance of a particular investigative function, the squad commander will direct that a lead sheet be prepared. The lead sheet will be identified by an appropriate Major Case Squad number and shall contain the general nature of the information received and a complete statement of the investigation to be performed. The lead sheet will then be assigned by the squad commander to a Major Case Squad Investigator for completion.

   Upon receipt of the lead assignment, the investigating officer shall proceed immediately to complete the assignment as directed. It should be emphasized that investigating officers are to strictly comply with the assignment as given and should not conduct investigations outside of the immediate scope of their designated assignment. Upon completion of the lead assignment, the lead sheet and accompanying report shall be returned to the report writing officer for review and indexing.

   2. Report Writing

   Immediately upon completion of the assigned lead, the investigating officer shall prepare a report to be submitted on the approved Major Case Squad Report Form.

   Reports submitted should contain only one area or category of the investigation assigned. Do not combine separate lead assignments into one report. For example, do not include in one report, results of an interview of a suspect or witness and information regarding evidence found at the crime scene. Two separate reports should be prepared.

   The original lead sheet, report and/or statements of witnesses shall be returned to the report writing officer. The report writing officer shall place all originals into the official Major Case Squad file which will remain on file with the lead investigative agency. A copy of each lead sheet, report and statement will be placed in a separate file to be submitted to the Prosecuting Attorney.

   Unsatisfactorily completed reports will be returned to the investigator for revision as directed.

    

    

    

    

    

   PAGE 19

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   PART VI: COLLECTION

   AND

   PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   PART VI

   COLLECTION & PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE

   1. Function of Evidence Technician

   The responsibility for the collection of crime scene evidence is assigned primarily to the Major Case Squad Evidence Technician. Investigators and other Major Case Squad personnel should not collect evidence or otherwise disturb the crime scene area. The investigator, upon discovering evidence, should take steps to see that the evidence is properly protected and immediately call for the assistance of the evidence technician.

   If for any reason it should become imperative for an investigator to seize evidence, the investigator shall maintain the evidence in his or her exclusive custody, taking all measures necessary to protect the integrity of the item seized, until such item is directly transferred to the custody of the evidence technician. All items so collected shall be appropriately marked and tagged by the seizing officer.

   All evidence collected or received by the evidence technician shall be submitted to the designated property manager along with instructions for further processing if needed.

   Each department shall designate a property manager whose function it shall be to take charge of all evidence submitted by the evidence technician and properly maintain the custody of such evidence thereafter. It shall be the responsibility of the property manager to transport all evidence to and from the regional crime laboratory and court as needed.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   PAGE 21

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   PART VII:

   PROCEDURES FOR

   ACTIVATION OF SQUAD

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   PART VII

   PROCEDURES FOR ACTIVATION OF SQUAD

   1. If a crime comes within the purview of the Major Case Squad’s purposes and circumstances indicate that outside help is needed, any member of the Board of Directors or a ranking officer acting in his stead, should contact the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department and advise that they are activating the Major Case Squad.
   2. The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department dispatcher should then immediately contact the Major Case Squad Commander of Deputy Commander, whoever is available, and furnish him with the name and location of requestor and the brief information obtained relative to the crime.
   3. The Commander of Deputy Commander of the Major Case Squad shall then contact the requestor and obtain more specific information and details relative to the crime.
   4. Any activation of the Major Case Squad should come as soon as possible after the requesting jurisdiction learns of the crime. Except under most unusual circumstances, a request received more than eight hours after discovery of the crime will be sufficient grounds to withhold squad assistance.
   5. The squad commander of deputy commander receiving the call should, in all cases, obtain the following information:

   1. Name, rank, address and telephone number of the officer requesting assistance.
   2. Location of the gathering place or building where the squad is to convene.
   3. Type of crime, time of the crime and time discovered.
   4. A resume of the facts including the exact location, type of terrain, equipment needed, whether Federal jurisdiction is involved, evidence known and other helpful data.
   5. The number of men the caller feels would be desirable to handle the investigation.
   6. He should inform the calling authority that the crime scene should be protected at once by cordon, if possible, and that it would be expected that the scene will be preserved so that the squad members might handle the crime scene search without it having been previously gone over.

    

    

    

    

   PAGE 23

    

   1. The squad commander or deputy commander shall proceed with mobilization and assignment as set forth in Part IV, Section B, (Responsibility of Squad Command and Supervision), of this manual.

    

   2. Squad members called to duty should be informed to report as quickly as possible.
   3. Each agency should make prior arrangements, if necessary, to provide a suitable headquarters for the squat, should it be needed in his jurisdiction. The quarters should contain office space for the supervisor, conference area, report writing facilities, interrogation space, and telephone communication. The quarters may be located in the existing facilities of the requesting agency if they are adequate.
   4. No investigation by the squad will extend over 72 hours, except where unusual circumstances warrant and extension. Any question concerning extension should be referred to t the directors for decision.
   5. The requesting agency will be expected to exert maximum effort in participating in the investigation.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   PAGE 24

    

    

   The Board of Directors for the Major Case Squad of Cape Girardeau / Bollinger County does hereby approve and adopt the foregoing Manual of Instructions and Procedures this __________day of _______________, 2001.

    

    

   _________________________________________

   H. Morley Swingle, Prosecuting Attorney

   Cape Girardeau County

    

   _________________________________________

   John D. Jordan, Sheriff

   Cape Girardeau County

    

   _________________________________________

   Rick Hetzel, Chief of Police

   Cape Girardeau Police Department

    

   _________________________________________

   Marvin Sides, Chief of Police

   Jackson Police Department

    

   _________________________________________

   Doug Richards, Director

   SEMO Department of Public Safety

    

   _________________________________________

   Lt. Jim McNeil, Lieutenant

   Missouri State Highway Patrol

    

   _________________________________________

   Terry Wiseman, Sheriff

   Bollinger County Sheriff’s Department

    

    

    

   PAGE 25

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   APPENDIX A

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