Response to Crimes

• Hypervigilant– abnormally increased arousal, responsiveness to

stimuli, and scanning of the environment for threats.

• This demeanor is maintained by police officers constantly

• Creates stress…but keeps you alive

WORK WORK

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Kevin Gilmartin – Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement

• The profession of law enforcement emphasizes to its new members to interpret the environment as potentially threatening. Concepts such as officer safety and street survival are created to demonstrate the lethalness of the law enforcement officer's daily work place.(2) These vicarious learning experiences appear to combine with the officer’s own first hand experiences in threatening situations to teach an interpretation of the environment as potentially life-threatening and dangerous. (3) A perceptual set of being vigilant of events in one's environment leads to a state of being hypervigilant or over-reactive to potentially threatening situations.

• The general public is oblivious to potential threats around them

• Police are constantly scanning their environment and even the most innocuous situations need to be processed

• Does not have to be actual stress – just the perception of a potential threat

• As a message of potential danger is experienced by the officer, mild to moderate elevations of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system will be innervated.

• This will be interpreted by the officer as a feeling of energization, rapid thought pattern, and a general speeding up of the physical and cognitive reactions

• Not an unpleasant state• Speech is rapid• Humor and wit are present• General feeling of aliveness• Cops see the world differently• That vision impacts all areas of their life– Sitting in a restaurant – face the door

• Pseudo-paranoia

• There are no routine calls• Every call is a gun call…because you brought it• Hyper-vigilance and tactics are always

important• However…different calls require different

responses• Be prepared to shift gears in your response

• Know the geography– Alleys– One way streets– Trails or other potential escape routes– How the street numbers run– Cross streets or landmarks– This will help you decide how best to respond

• You don’t do anybody any good unless you get there

• Slow down – talk yourself into it• Listen, listen, listen– You’re tuning in to what is going on– You’re developing probable cause– You’re collecting evidence

• By knowing what is normal you can better detect what is out of place

• Ask those around if they have seen or heard anything

• Many will not volunteer it but will respond if asked

• Your response– Don’t pull up out front – know the street numbers– Apartment numbers, location in building –

possible info from dispatch– Is the caller still on the phone with dispatch?• Get as much info as possible• Suspect & vehicle description, direction of travel

– Car, keys, radio, cellphone, nightstick– Use light sparingly• Telegraphs your position• Night vision

• Coordinate response with other units responding – different directions if possible

• Observations while responding– People walking – detained?– Cars leaving the area– Discarded items

• Information out to other units quickly• Need for additional personnel

• Is the victim being transported to the hospital?

• Someone needs to go with them – evidence preservation and possible dying declaration

• Securing the scene – limiting entry begin log• Sorting out the cast of characters– Victim(s)– Witnesses – take their ID to make them stay– Suspect(s)

• Keep them separate if possible• Statements – consider using cruiser video

• Transient evidence – changes with time• Temperature, odors, position of items, ice melting, ice

covered windows• Initial observations are critical• Notes, notes, notes• Cell phone pics or video – department policy dictates –

all are discoverable• Departmental notifications• Non-departmental notifications– DA, AG, Medical Examiner

Burglary

• Report only or in progress – witness or alarm• Establish perimeter – two officers on opposite

corners• If found secure – get owner to unlock & then

search• If possible, do not use their point of entry• Use of canine to search building• At least two officers inside if possible• Use lights inside

OFFICER #1

OFFICER #2

Burglary

• Suspected located – search, handcuff and remove

• Ask him if anybody is with him• Continue search• Look at what has been disturbed• What is available for evidence?

Possession or transfer of burglar's tools 17-A Section 403

• . 1. A person is guilty of possession or transfer of burglar's tools if that person:

• A. Possesses or makes any tool, implement, instrument or other article that is adapted, designed or commonly used for advancing or facilitating crimes involving unlawful entry into property or crimes involving forcible breaking of safes or other containers or depositories of property, including, but not limited to, an electronic device used as a code grabber or a master key designed to fit more than one lock, with intent to use such tool, implement, instrument or other article to commit any such criminal offense. Violation of this paragraph is a Class E crime; or [2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF); 2001, c. 383, §60 (AMD).]

• B. Transfers or possesses with the intent to transfer any device described in paragraph A that that person knows is designed or primarily useful for the commission of a crime described in paragraph A. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime.

Bump Key

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SXua9R5GDM

Auto Theft

• Are you current with the payments?– No matter the person or type of car

• Has it been worked on lately?• Is there a spare key in the car?• Lo Jack• On Star• Other GPS tracking system

Auto Theft

• Check the area for other stolen cars• Look at where it was last seen – broken glass,

plate screws• Insurance?• Owner signs report – made aware of

fraudulent reporting• Entered into NCIC immediately