From Book News, Inc.
New edition of a standard textbook for undergraduate students. Updated to include current topics such as: date rape, crack, serial murders. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Book Description
Designed to help readers discover both the art and science of criminal investigation, this book explores the legal significance of evidence in the field, outlines the fundamentals of inquiry, and then carefully details each element of investigation—from the preliminaries to case preparation for prosecutor review. Reflecting the most recent changes in techniques and their application to various crimes, it features real-life case studies that give readers practice in developing their abilities to analyze, evaluate, and reason. Ethical Awareness. The Crime Scene. Witnesses and Evidence. Recording the Crime Scene. Basic Investigative Leads and Informants. Major Investigative Techniques. Laboratory and Technical Services. Interrogation of Suspects. Arresting the Accused Person. Physical Assaults. Sexual Assaults. Robbery. Arson, Bombing and Hate Crimes. Property Crimes. Dangerous Drugs, Vice/Gambling, and Organized Crimes. The Investigator as a Witness. For those involved in criminal investigations.

The publisher, Prentice-Hall Career & Technology
Focusing on the legal significance of evidence, this text outlines the fundamentals of inquiry and then carefully details the elements of investigation -- from the preliminaries to case preparation for prosecutor review. It emphasizes the newest dimensions in the techniques of criminal investigation and their application to various crimes, and reflects the increasing demand for greater trustworthiness of police evidence-gatherers and the validity of forensic-science tests.

From the Back Cover
Together, the authors of Criminal Investigation: Basic Perspectives have in excess of fifty years of law enforcement experience with a variety of agencies such as the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Marshal's Service, the Sacramento Sheriff's Department, and the New York Police Department. From this perspective the authors have written a well-balanced, comprehensive text on criminal investigation. This ninth edition has been reformatted and updated and includes all new sections. Offender registration has been added to the discussion on basic investigative leads. DNA fingerprinting has been rewritten to reflect the current developments in DNA analysis. Media relations has been added to the chapter on crime scene management. Mass and serial murderers are now part of the discussion on physical assaults. Personality profiles of sexual offenders is now included as part of the chapter on sexual assaults. Vice and gambling has been added to a new chapter titled "A Trio of Crimes Without Victims–Dangerous Drugs, Vice, Gambling, and Organized Crime." New sections on computer crime and hit and run investigations have been included in a new chapter titled "For Other Authorities." "The Investigator as a Witness" has been added as the final chapter. In addition, new case studies have been added to this edition, which are designed to highlight the chapter content and enhance the learning process. Criminal Investigation: Basic Perspectives, Ninth Edition is a resource that will prepare students for the challenging world of criminal investigation.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The ninth edition of Criminal Investigation: Basic Perspectives has been reorganized to make it more adaptable for a semester-length college course. The previous edition of this text contained 27 chapters. In this edition, the material has been combined and condensed into a 17 chapter format. The first chapter is now Ethical Awareness. This is especially appropriate due to the recent disclosure of unethical conduct in two of the largest police agencies in the country. This unethical conduct effects all investigators, regardless of jurisdiction. Such egregious conduct places doubts in a juror's mind regarding the credibility of the investigators in the courtroom and even empowers juries to engage in jury nullification. We believe that a frank and honest discussion of unethical conduct is necessary in order to acknowledge that this behavior exists and to be able to take corrective and preventive action. Therefore, we added one entirely new chapter as well as additional segments to eight existing chapters: Media Relations (Chapter 2, "The Crime Scene") Offender Registration (Chapter 5, "Basic Investigative Leads and Informants") DNA Fingerprinting (Chapter 7,,"Laboratory and Technical Services") Mass and Serial Murder (Chapter 10, "Physical Assaults") Personality Profile: Serial Rapist (Chapter 11, "Sexual Assaults") Vice and Gambling (Chapter 15, "A Trio of Crimes Without Victims, Dangerous Dugs, Vice and Gambling, and Organized Crime") Computer Crime and Hit and Run (Chapter 16, "For Other Authorities") The Investigator as a Witness (New Chapter 17) Two new case studies, designed to enhance the learning process, have been added to this edition. The case study method of instruction facilitates learning by linking case content to textbook topics and by encouraging the exchange of opinions and viewpoints among students during discussion sessions. The case studies in this book are designed to contribute to this type of learning process. Each case provides factual information that is likely to promote analysis and discussion and thus aid in developing the student's ability to analyze, evaluate, and reason. The topic of discussion is focused on the facts of each case study, but only the range of student opinions and ideas limits the scope of the discussion. Some cases are presented in straight narrative style, while others are written in dialogue form as the best means of joining the personalities and the situations of a case study. Each case presents a real-life situation or episode experienced some time in the past. There has been no "doctoring" to develop points, theories, or problems. However, names, dates, and locations have been altered in some instances to avoid embarrassing any persons or their families. A note of thanks to the reviewers of the last edition: William E. Kelly, Auburn University, Auburn, AL; Richard Natoli, Massasoit Community College, Rockton, MA; and Len Larson, Eastfield College, Mesquite, TX. Their insights and suggestions have made this current edition a better book. A special note of thanks to Sue Lushbaugh. Without her computer expertise and patience this edition would not have been possible.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Criminal Investigation: Basic Perspectives, Eighth Edition explores the investigative process and the changes in the field of criminal investigation. This text examines the various major crimes and investigative leads unique to each crime category, and takes the reader from the first responders at a crime scene to the presentation of evidence in a court of law.

Three all-new chapters have been added:Organized CrimeViolence and Threat AssessmentThe Investigator's Role in Community-Oriented Problem-Solving Policy

In addition, students are challenged and enriched by this edition's six new segments, which cover hot topics such as Identity Theft, Proactive Investigations, and Cognitive Interviewing Techniques. This text also discusses the role of the crime lab and its ability to assist the criminal investigator, from comparative ballistic analysis to complex DNA analysis.

FROM THE CRITICS

Booknews

New edition of a standard textbook for undergraduate students. Updated to include current topics such as: date rape, crack, serial murders. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

ACCREDITATION

PAUL B. WESTON, Professor Emeritus, Criminal Justice, California State University, Sacramento, California
CHARLES LUSHBAUGH, Lieutenant, Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, Sacramento, California
KENNETH M. WELLS, J.D., Former Public Defender, Sacramento, California