Day: October 20, 2020

Read the case file from Brandl, Criminal Investigations, He Hit Her Until She Fell . . . and That Was Just the Beginning starting on page 363 of your textbook. Then consider if you were the criminal investigator assigned to investigate this case, what interview questions would you have asked the witnesses and why?

With more than two months left in 2020, Kansas City broke its record for homicides Thursday night when two people were killed in separate shootings, leaving 156 victims this year. The total includes seven fatal police shootings.  Throughout the metro, 226 people have been killed as of Friday afternoon, including 42 homicide victims this year in Kansas City, Kansas.

In previous years, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said she has known about every act of violence in the city. But in 2020, it has been just almost impossible to keep tabs on the relentless number of slayings.

The single-year record in total homicides was previously set in 2017, when 155 people were killed, according to data kept by The Star, which includes four fatal police shootings.  n addition to breaking the homicide record, nonfatal shootings have spiked at an alarming rate. As of Oct. 11, 516 people have been shot and survived this year in Kansas City, compared to 401 by that time last year, according to police data.  By comparison, 2019 ended with 491 living gunshot victims; 2018 with 450; and 2017 with 506.  Baker called the number of living victims this year absolutely breathtaking.  Of them, eight of were under the age of 10. Another 20 were between the ages of 11 and 15. The city is also on pace to break the record for the rate at which people are slain.

Millions of Americans filed for unemployment as COVID-19 closed businesses, creating financial strains. Killings tend to occur in the spur of the moment, and when people are stressed, the chances of violence rise. More people have also been questioning the fairness of the criminal justice system, particularly of the police, in the fallout of the officer killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville. When people dont feel that the criminal justice system is fair, theyre less likely to participate, as victims or witnesses, and more likely to take matters into their own hands.  That lack of trust is evident in one of the police departments statistics: about 70% of surviving gunshot victims are not willing to assist detectives.

What are your thoughts on these troubling statistics and mistrust?  Do you feel that there is a need for reform, reconciliation?  What are your suggestions in mending the trust between the community and police officers?

As a criminal justice professional, report writing is an important aspect of your responsibilities. For this assignment, you will review a scenario and complete a report commonly found within a particular criminal justice profession.
Review the four (4) options below and choose one option to complete this assignment. For your chosen option, review the associated scenario and complete the provided report template:
Option 1: Law Enforcement Officer
Scenario: Watch and take notes on the video scenario: CJ in Practice Video: Traffic Stop
Report Template: Assume that an arrest is made in the scenario and complete the Arrest Report.
Option 2: Adult Parole and Probation Officer
Scenario: Read the Lindsey Nahol Scenario below:
The defendant, Lindsey Nahol, entered Sparkle Jewelry and asked the sales clerk to show her several pieces of expensive jewelry.  When the clerk turned his back, the defendant slipped a diamond necklace into her purse and walked towards the exit.  When the security guard attempted to stop the defendant, she kicked and scratched the security guard.  With help from the store clerk, the security guard restrained the defendant and held her in a room until the local police arrived.  The local police officer placed her under arrest for robbery.  Ms. Nahol has been in jail for 60 days, and has plead guilty to robbery and assault and battery.  Before imposing sentencing, Judge Fairmont ask for a pre-sentence investigation or report. 
The pre-sentence investigation reveals that Ms. Nahol, now 30, has been involved in the criminal justice system since she was 14, when she was adjudicated for car theft, for which she was placed on juvenile probation.  However, she violated her probation, however, upon reinstatement of the probation, she successfully completed a 36-month probational term.  As an adult, Ms. Nahol has been sentenced three previous times, as an adult, for various crimes including shoplifting, burglary and possession of a controlled substance.  She successfully completed her probation for these offenses one year ago.  Ms. Nahol states that she stole the car when she was 14 because she wanted her friends to think that she was cool and not a nerd.  She states that this is also the reason why she started using drugs.  As for the security officer, during the interview, Ms. Nahol stated that she was defending herself and standing her ground, because the security guard grabbed her first, when he was trying to prevent her from leaving the store.
Ms. Nahol has her high school diploma; she has not spoken to any of her family members in more than a year.  But states that she is very close friends who let her crash at their house anytime she wants.  She spends her time thinking about her future and is interested in earning her degree in criminal justice from Strayer University and after obtaining her degree she wants to be a juvenile probation officer.
The prosecutor has asked for five (5) years in prison, followed by five (5) years of probation.  The defense attorney has asked for time served and two years of probation.
Report Template: Pre-Sentence Investigation Report (Adult)
Option 3: Juvenile Parole and Probation Officer
Scenario: Watch and take notes on the video scenario: CJ in Practice: Juvenile Detention
Report Template: Pre-Sentence Investigation Report (Juvenile)
Option 4: Criminal Investigator
Scenario: Read A Mutilation Murder Case on page 670 of your textbook.
Report Template: Crime Scene Investigation Report
Once you have chosen one of the options above and reviewed the scenario and required report template, complete the report template in which you:
Fill out the report with the specific information provided in the scenario.
Fill out the report in its entirety by making the necessary assumptions and/or creating the facts that are not included in the scenario.
Articulate the circumstances of the scenario in the narrative portion of the report, as appropriate.
Use concise and clear language and an appropriate tone of voice to communicate the factual information effectively.