Criminal Investigation: A Method for Reconstructing the Past

by James W. Osterburg, Richard H. Ward, Larry S. Miller

Overview

A classic in the field, Criminal Investigation: A Method for Reconstructing the Past, Eighth Edition, presents the fundamentals of criminal investigation and provides a sound method for reconstructing a crime based on three major sources of information: people, physical evidence, and records. By breaking information sources into these three major components, the book provides a logical approach that helps students remember and achieve mastery of these essentials. More than a simplistic introductory text, yet written in an easy-to-read, user-friendly format, it offers a broad treatment of criminal investigation.

Updated and streamlined since the prior edition, the text covers the foundations and principles of criminal investigation, analysis of specific crimes, and explores special topics including enterprise crime, arson and explosives, computers and technological crime, increasing threats and emerging crime, and terrorism and urban disorder. This discussion of contemporary and future criminal activity teaches students facts about the present as well as the skills to stay current in a rapidly changing field.

This book is indispensable for core courses in criminal investigation. Chapters include a variety of helpful charts, tables, and illustrations, as well as discussion questions that provide focus on the most important points. A glossary provides definitions for terms that have specialized meanings, and an online companion site offers an array of resources for both students and instructors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138903272
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/08/2019
Edition description:	8th ed.
Pages:	704
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

James W. Osterburg was long involved in the investigation process, actively engaged in the functions of teaching, research, and public service. For 20 years, he served the New York City Police Department (NYPD), where he assisted in the investigation of thousands of crimes. He testified in municipal, state, and federal courts on numerous occasions, and taught at the NYPD Police Academy. His academic affiliations include professorships at the University of Illinois at Chicago; Indiana University; the University of California, Berkeley; the Baruch School of Public Administration at the City University of New York; and Sam Houston State University (as Beto Professor of Criminal Justice). He is the author of several books on criminalistics and scientific investigation. Osterburg was a Fellow and past president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and was recipient of the 2010 Paul L. Kirk Award, the highest award conferred by the AAFS Criminalistics Section.

Richard H. Ward was, at the time of his death, Associate Vice President for Research and Special Programs at the University of New Haven. A former New York City Police Department (NYPD) Detective, Ward was an internationally recognized expert on issues related to criminal investigation, terrorism, and global crime. He earned a master’s degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a Ph.D. in criminology from the University of California, Berkeley. He began teaching at John Jay in 1970, eventually moving into administration, and in 1977, joined the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), where he was Vice Chancellor of administration for 16 years, then founder and Executive Director of UIC’s Office of International Criminal Justice. From 2008 to 2012, he served as Dean of the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at the University of New Haven. Ward visited more than 50 countries and taught in China, Malaysia, Thailand, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

Larry S. Miller is Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and Director of the Forensic Document Examination graduate program at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). He received his Bachelor of Science from ETSU, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Eastern Kentucky University, and his Ph.D. in Public Health & Safety with collaterals in Forensic Anthropology and Criminology from The University of Tennessee. Miller, who has worked as a police officer for two state police agencies in Tennessee and Kentucky, criminal investigator and Chief of Detectives with the Washington County (TN) Sheriff's Office, crime scene investigator with the Sullivan County (TN) Sheriff's Office, and Director of the Tennessee Regional Crime Laboratory at Walters State Community College (TN), teaches in the areas of law enforcement and forensic science and is the author of several books on topics including forensic document examination, criminal investigation, criminal justice report writing, police photography, and more. He serves on the board of the National Forensic Academy.

Table of Contents

SECTION I: The Foundation and Principles of Criminal Investigation; PART A: Introduction; 1 The Role of the Investigator; 2 Physical Evidence: Development, Interpretation, Investigative Value; 3 The Crime Scene; 4 Managing Criminal Investigations; PART B: The Investigative Function; 5 Records and Files; PART C: Follow-Up Measures: Reaping Information; 8 Surveillance; 9 Interrogation of Suspects and Hostile Witnesses; 10 Reconstructing the Past: Methods, Evidence, Examples; PART D: Applying the Principles to Criminal Investigation; 11 Crime and Constitutional Law; 12 Evidence and Effective Testimony; SECTION II: Analyses of Crime; 13 Homicide 14 Robbery; 15 Rape and Other Sex Crimes; 16 Burglary; SECTION III: Special Topics; 17 Enterprise Crime: Organized, Economic, and White-Collar Crime; 18 Arson and Explosives; 19 Computers and Technological Crime; 20 Increasing Threats and Emerging Crime 21 Terrorism and Urban Disorder Glossary; Index

Editorial Reviews

The text is divided into four sections with thirty chapters. New in this edition is a chapter on automobile theft. Earlier editions of the book were required reading for the International Association for Identification's crime scene certification course and I expect that will continue to be true with this edition.

The third edition continues to be bound in paperback which was one my main complaints from the second edition. The dimensions of the book of the been changed resulting in a rather more solid feel to this edition. I'd still prefer to see it in hard cover, however, I understand some of the cost factors involved, which lead to the use of a paper cover.

The third edition also includes a 228 page study guide. The instructors edition includes both an instructors guide, and a set of PowerPoint slides, although I didn't receive the slides with my review copy. Given the popularity of PowerPoint presentations I have to believe this is a valuable addition for those that are using the text in a college course.

Overall the book continues to be well written and illustrated with appropriate photographs or illustrations.

Section one is the foundation and principles of criminal investigation. Part A is the Sources and Uses of Information, which includes the History of Criminal Investigation, Uses of Physical Evidence, Using People as a Source of Information, and investigations involving records and files.

Section one Part B Seeking and Obtaining Information from People and Records, includes detailed information on Interviews, using Records and Files, and Informants. Part C Follow-up Measures includes chapters on Surveillance, Eyewitness Identification (which includes sketches, composites and line-ups) and two chapters on Interrogation.

Section two: Applying the Principles to Criminal Investigation, includes a chapter on Reconstructing the Past, and chapters on specific crimes including Homicide, Robbery, Rape, Burglary and Arson.

Section three is specialized investigations and includes Terrorism, Computers, White-collar Crime and Crimes Involving Vehicles.

Section four is specialized topics and includes chapters on What is Crime? Managing Criminal Investigations, Controlling Investigations through Constitutional Law, Evidence and Effective Testimony. Chapters which review the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, and the Lindbergh kidnapping, a chapter on Satanism, Cults and Ritual Crime (which in my opinion is still a waste of paper) and a chapter on Raids.

The text also includes five appendices: FBI suggestions for Packaging Physical Evidence, Photographing a Crime Scene, the Vicap Crime Analysis Report, Missing Person Checklist and a Glossary.

Given the breadth of the material presented, the authors can't go into great detail about any particular subject, however, each of the chapters includes an extensive list of supplemental readings.

The third edition continues to be an excellent introductory text on criminal investigation and remains one of my top recommendations.
—crimeandclues.com

Daryl W. Clemens

"This seventh edition of a text for criminal justice students contains a new section on the use of technology in criminal investigations, with new material on finding info in social media and searching online files and records…The new sub-section on technology covers high-tech and IT crime, as well as legal issues related to getting info from personal and workplace computers, websites, chat rooms, and Internet service providers."— ProtoView.com, February 2014 "The seventh edition…presents the fundamentals of criminal investigation and provides a sound method for reconstructing a past event based on three major sources of information – people, records and physical evidence…Students and beginning professionals in criminal justice will find new ways of obtaining information from people…Special topics in terrorism, organized crime, and white-collar crime round out this complete guide…"— The Journal, Fall/Winter 2013 "This seventh edition of a text for criminal justice students contains a new section on the use of technology in criminal investigations, with new material on finding info in social media and searching online files and records…The new sub-section on technology covers high-tech and IT crime, as well as legal issues related to getting info from personal and workplace computers, websites, chat rooms, and Internet service providers."— Reference & Research Book News, December 2013

From the Publisher