Question 1

______ is the process of collecting crime-related information to reach certain goals.

Accepted Answer

Criminal investigation is the process aimed at collecting information related to crimes with the goal of solving them. This involves gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and following leads to achieve objectives such as identifying and apprehending suspects, and providing evidence for prosecution.

Question 2

______ consists of supposed facts and knowledge that relate to a particular crime or perpetrator.

Accepted Answer

Evidence consists of information and facts that are collected and used to support the truth or falsehood of a claim, particularly in legal contexts such as relating to a crime or perpetrator.

Question 3

______ broadly refers to the field of science that addresses legal questions.

Accepted Answer

Forensic science is the application of scientific methods and techniques to investigate crimes and examine evidence that might be presented in a court of law.

Question 4

The ultimate goal of the criminal investigation process is to reduce crime through either ______.

Accepted Answer

The ultimate goal of the criminal investigation process is to reduce crime through deterrence, by discouraging criminal acts, or incapacitation, by removing the ability of the criminals to commit further crimes.

Question 5

If a perpetrator cannot be identified after all leads have been exhausted in a follow-up investigation, ongoing-investigative activities would be ______.

Accepted Answer

When all leads have been exhausted in a follow-up investigation and the perpetrator cannot be identified, ongoing-investigative activities are typically terminated, as there are no further actions that can be taken based on the available information.

Question 6

______ are usually serious crimes that are no longer being actively investigated because more recent crimes are necessarily the priority.

Accepted Answer

Cold cases are investigations of serious crimes that have not been solved and are no longer being actively pursued, often due to the passage of time and the prioritization of newer cases.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of an undercover investigation?

Accepted Answer

Sting operations are a form of undercover investigation where law enforcement officers or agents disguise their identities to catch a person committing a crime.

Question 8

When investigators pose as minors in chat rooms on the Internet to identify adults who attempt to solicit sex from minors, it is an example of a(n) ______.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a decoy operation, where law enforcement officers pretend to be someone they are not (in this case, minors) to catch individuals committing illegal acts (such as soliciting sex from minors).

Question 9

A(n) ______ is a person or business that buys and sells property that is known to be stolen.

Accepted Answer

A fence is the correct term for a person or business that buys and sells property known to be stolen. This activity is part of the illegal trade of goods to make them appear legitimate.

Question 10

______ occurs when the police induce someone to commit a crime the person would not have otherwise committed.

Accepted Answer

Entrapment is a defense used in criminal law to argue that agents of the government induced a person to commit a crime they would not have otherwise been inclined to commit.

Question 11

______ is most likely to be cleared by arrest; ______ is the least likely.

Accepted Answer

Murder typically has a higher clearance rate through arrests compared to other crimes due to its serious nature and the amount of resources allocated for its investigation. Motor vehicle theft, on the other hand, often has a lower clearance rate due to the challenges in tracking stolen vehicles and the lower priority given to these cases.

Question 12

What scenario is very likely true about a murder that occurred at a private residence?

Accepted Answer

Statistically, most murders at private residences involve victims and offenders who know each other, often due to domestic disputes or personal conflicts.

Question 13

What is not true with regard to the secondary transfer of DNA?

Accepted Answer

Secondary transfer of DNA refers to the transfer of DNA from an individual to an object or person, and then from that object or person to another object or person. Studies have shown that secondary transfer of DNA can and does occur, contradicting the statement that it almost never happens. This phenomenon can indeed lead to situations where DNA evidence might implicate individuals who were not directly involved in a crime, hence the concern about false convictions.

Question 14

With regard to crime scene profiles, ______.

Accepted Answer

Crime scene profiles are designed to identify the type of person who may have committed a crime, but by themselves, they cannot identify a specific suspect if one is not already known, nor have they ever solved a crime on their own.

Question 15

______ evidence is evidence that tends to exclude or eliminate someone from consideration as a suspect.

Accepted Answer

Exculpatory evidence is specifically related to evidence that can exonerate an individual or suggest their non-involvement in the crime in question, effectively excluding them from suspicion.

Question 16

______ evidence is evidence that tends to include or incriminate a person as a perpetrator.

Accepted Answer

Inculpatory evidence is evidence that tends to include or incriminate a person as a perpetrator, directly indicating their involvement in the crime.

Question 17

If a suspect has an alibi, it is an example of ______ evidence.

Accepted Answer

An alibi is considered exculpatory evidence because it seeks to demonstrate the suspect's innocence by showing they were elsewhere when the crime occurred, thus excluding them as a suspect.

Question 18

A police officer found a gun, identified as the likely murder weapon at a crime scene, and it has the suspect's fingerprints on it. The fingerprints are ______.

Accepted Answer

Fingerprints on the gun are direct evidence that the suspect handled the gun, but they do not directly prove the suspect committed the murder without additional context or evidence.

Question 19

______ evidence is crime-related information that immediately demonstrates the existence of a fact in question.

Accepted Answer

Direct evidence directly proves a fact without needing any inference or presumption, making it immediately demonstrative of the fact in question.

Question 20

______ evidence is crime-related information from which inferences and probabilities are needed to draw an associated conclusion.

Accepted Answer

Indirect evidence, also known as circumstantial evidence, requires inference and probability to connect it to a conclusion, unlike direct evidence which directly proves a fact.

Quiz 7: Crime Detection and Investigation