EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE - 1 - Criminal Investigation Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator Criminal Investigation Course Design 2008-2009 Course Information Organization EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE Division Social Sciences Course Number AJS 103 Title Criminal Investigation Credits 3 Developed by Steven Johnson Lecture/Lab Ratio 3 Lecture/0 Lab Transfer Status ASU Elective Credit NAU Valid thru Summer II 2008: CJ 390 Fall 2008 and beyond: CCJ 390 Note: Carries lower-division credit only UA Non Transferable Activity Course No CIP Code 43.0107 Assessment Mode Pre/Post Test (75 Questions/75 Points) Semester Taught Fall GE Category None Separate Lab No Awareness Course No Intensive Writing Course No Prerequisites None Educational Value An excellent freshmen level course for persons interested in learning more about police criminal investigations including preliminary investigations, processing the crime scene and conducting interviews and interrogations. Half of the textbook is covered in AJS103 Criminal Investigation and the second half is covered in AJS203 Advanced Criminal Investigations.EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE - 2 - Criminal Investigation Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator Description This course covers the fundamentals of criminal investigations. The theory of criminal investigations, crime scene procedures, case preparation, interviewing and basic investigative techniques are examined. Competencies and Performance Standards 1. Analyze the methods of conducting a thorough preliminary investigation. Learning objectives What you will learn as you master the competency: a. Describe how certain behaviors are categorized as crimes. b. Provide an overview of how political authority defines offensive behavior as crime. c. Explain the sources of criminal law. d. Describe the classification of crimes by their severity. e. Explain the objectives of a criminal investigation. f. Discuss the steps of conducting a preliminary investigation. g. Explain why preserving the crime scene is important. h. Describe the importance of physical evidence at the crime scene. i. Explain how criminal patterns are identified to solve crimes. j. Complete an indoor crime scene investigation. Performance Standards Competence will be demonstrated: o by completion of online quizzes and examinations o through Internet Web based computer assignments o through an objective cumulative final exam o by practical application of skills learned Performance will be satisfactory when: o learner describes the development of criminal law o learner analyzes the sources of criminal law in the United States o learner identifies the elements of a successful criminal investigation o learner describes how criminal investigations are both an art and a science o learner analyzes how a criminal investigator uses both inductive and deductive reasoning o learner list the steps taken to conduct a successful investigation o learner describes what types of evidence are present at a crime scene and how they are discovered o learner properly measures, sketches, and photographs a mock indoor crime scene o learner describes how to collect and mark evidence o learner describes the use of the crime laboratory and results that can be obtained o learner identifies common crime patterns and their related human behaviorEASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE - 3 - Criminal Investigation Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator 2. Examine how information is gathered and organized Learning objectives What you will learn as you master the competency: a. Identify sources of information b. Describe the types of witnesses commonly encountered in a criminal investigation c. Identify the key elements of conducting an interrogation d. Discuss guidelines for taking confessions and admissions e. Describe the nature of fingerprints and their identification f. Identify the key elements of conducting a surveillance g. Describe proper report writing guidelines used in criminal investigations Performance Standards Competence will be demonstrated: o by completion of online quizzes and examinations o through Internet Web based computer assignments o through an objective cumulative final exam o by practical application of skills learned Performance will be satisfactory when: o learner lists common sources of information used in a criminal investigation o learner describes the cognitive interview o learner identifies the types of witnesses commonly encountered in a criminal investigation o learner describes methods of conducting an interrogation o learner conducts a proper interrogation through proper approaches to suspect behavior o learner identifies legal issues with interviewing juveniles o learner identifies types of surveillances used in criminal investigations o learner describes types and sources of recorded information o learner identifies ways of communicating through reports o learner completes a proper criminal investigation report 3. Characterize how crimes against property are investigated. Learning objectives What you will learn as you master the competency: a. Describe the nature of burglary b. Identify common methods of investigating burglaries c. Describe the nature of larceny/theft d. Identify common methods of investigating larceny/theft e. Describe the nature of motor vehicle theft f. Identify common methods of investigating motor vehicle theft g. Describe the nature of arsonEASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE - 4 - Criminal Investigation Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator h. Identify the common methods of investigating arson Performance Standards Competence will be demonstrated: o by completion of online quizzes and examinations o through Internet Web based computer assignments o through an objective cumulative final exam Performance will be satisfactory when: o learner describes the legal aspects of burglary o learner identifies the types of burglaries and their characteristics o learner discusses how to properly investigate a burglary o learner describes the legal aspects of larceny/theft o learner identifies types of larceny/theft and their characteristics o learner discusses how to properly investigate larceny/theft o learner identifies examples of consumer and business fraud o learner describes the legal aspects of motor vehicle theft o learner discusses how to properly investigate motor vehicle theft o learner identifies examples of motor vehicle theft o