Challenges to specialists’ involvement in an incident site inspection (organization and tactics)

Abstract

Problem setting. The adoption of the Law of Ukraine «On national police»
leads to substantive changes in organization of an investigator profession. These
transformations affect interactions between national police investigators and
specialists.
Relevance of the research topic. Today it is important to analyze organization
and tactics of specialists’ participation in an incident site inspection in the context of
reforming criminal justice authorities, in particular, the national police, prosecutor’s
office.
Recent research and publications analysis. A specialist’s participation in
investigative actions (search activities), in particular, in inspection was explored by
scholars such as R. H. Ardashiev, R. S. Bielkin, О. А. Levi, V. М. Makhov, І. V.
Pyrih, V. V. Tsyrkal, V. Yu. Shepitko, М. P. Yablokov.
Paper objective. The purpose of the paper is to explore organization and
tactics of specialists’ involvement in an incident site inspection.
Paper main body. At present specialists are important participants of an
incident site inspection during investigation of various criminal offences.
Investigators contact appropriate specialists even when planning an incident site
inspection. Depending on a type of the investigated criminal offence an investigator
involves specialists of a certain type.
Involvement of specialists varies depending on their types. For example,
organization of participation of cytologists with sniffing dogs requires optimization.
It is wrong that the operational investigative group, which went to an incident site
having received a notice of criminal offence commitment, shall organize cytologists
so they arrive at this incident site. It runs counter to the provision on an incident site
inspection urgency. At present there are significant difficulties in organization of a
forensic expert’s involvement in an incident site and corpse inspection. In practice,
one forensic expert serves several districts in the city when is on duty. Therefore
inspections can be conducted even in a day following a person’s death. There is a
need to increase a quantity of Forensic Medical Bureau staff in order to make their
assistance to investigators effective. Difficulties also arise in organization of scuba
divers’ involvement in water reservoir inspection and corpse search.
It is also required to turn to issues on tactics of specialists’ involvement in an
incident site inspection. Different attitudes on understanding of tactics of specialists’
involvement are expressed in literature (А.V. Kofanov, V.М. Makhov). It should
noted that a specialist provide an investigator assistance in tactical techniques
implementation during an incident site inspection.
Practice knows false approaches to tactics of specialists’ involvement in an
incident site inspection. In one case investigators refuse to examine before a specialist
comes. In another case a specialist individually examines before an investigator
arrives at the incident site and this investigator, not examining the incident place,
makes records on detected objects according to oral information provided by the
specialist. Therefore it is advisable an investigator and a specialist to jointly inspect
an incident site. If there are several incident sites an investigator and a specialist
separately conduct inspection, and this situation is incorrect. Though they will save
working time, an incident site inspection is not fully conducted.
During an incident site inspection we propose to use several specialists: (А)
possessing various special knowledge; (Б) specialists who use special knowledge in
one special subject area; (В) it is possible to involve a body of specialists; or to
involve a group of specialists when simultaneously conducting inspection of several
incident sites.
It is inadvisable to draw up two protocols by a specialist and an investigator. It
will lead to piling-up of unnecessary criminal proceeding materials. Moreover, a
specialist will interfere in an investigator’s evidence activity when drawing up a
particular document. Therefore it is essential to reflect specialists’ research in the
protocol of investigative action (search activities).
Conclusions of the research. Thus, the paper gives proposals for organization
of involvement of specialists of separate categories in inspection. Forensic sciences
recommendations on tactics of specialists’ involvement in inspection are made.
Discussed problematic issues on recording of specialists’ actions during an incident
site inspection. Issues on tactical characteristics of specialists’ involvement in
investigative actions (search activities) remain relevant and it specifies the need of
further development of appropriate topics