Did the detectives violate police procedure? If so, please elaborate on each detective’s violation.
The detectives violated police procedure, with detective A, failing to comply with investigation guidelines. According to the New Orleans Police department manual (2014), child abuse cases should be handled according to the child abuse unit standard operating procedures. Therefore, the detective must grasp all information through preliminary investigation, and in-depth follow up. Additionally, an officer must acknowledge that a child has to be protected when there are signs of abuse. By closing the cases too early and disregarding the hospital records, the officer adversely impacts the outcome of the case, the juveniles' safety, and justice. Also, investigative officers are supposed to refer to domestic violence and sexual assault victims to the family justice center where protection can thrive. However, the police officer failed to offer help even when the children were sexually abused. Comprehensive investigations are vital in determining the safety and outcome of sexual assault incidences.
Detective B violated the report writing procedure, which hindered documentation of current and future cases. Police reports ought to be factual, clear, concise, accurate, and complete. However, officer B did not keep track of information for the three assigned cases, even when there was DNA evidence. Indeed, when one of the victims was assaulted, there was no follow up, which hinders criminals' apprehension. Reports are a source of investigative record for the prosecutors, which assist is in court preparation. Failure to document facts by the officer jeopardizes investigations and cases.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Detective C failed to present timely preliminary and supplemental reports, thus violating the documentation procedure. Uniform and timely crime reporting are essential to capture all details regarding a case. For the detective, writing the police reports a year or two later leaves room for misinformation and crucial information loss. For instance, between 2010 -2013, the officer did not record important information about an offender because there was no accuracy of events. Detailed police reports are written on time, especially since memory fades. A good police report serves as a determinant of trials, especially since they might be needed when subpoenaed. However, in such cases, officer C might negatively influence a court case since there is no transparency to the report.
Detective D violated responsible reporting, disclosure, and preservation of evidence. It is unethical for a detective to choose which aspects of evidence to detail and conceal based on a personal opinion. Indeed, officer D claimed that he did not perceive simple rape cases to be a crime. Thus, despite victims undergoing a complete medical examination from a sexual assault nurse examiner and threats from the alleged offender, the officer still felt indifferent. The officer did not make an evidential entry for one of the cases claiming that the victim's sexual assault was consensual. The misconduct to conceal evidence leaves the victim and population susceptible to abuse.
Detective E violated the procedure for writing supplementary reports, which adversely impacts investigations. Supplemental police reports help augment incidences that rely on accurate, complete, and timely recording at the time of the developments. Thus, the investigation reports must be updated continuously to reflect new information. However, the officer delayed with a gap of two years to write police reports with DNA evidence indicating there was a CODIS hit in the same period. It is the mandate of the officer to ensure that case reports match the date of incidence.
Can the detective's supervisor be held responsible for the detective’s actions and if so why?
The detective's supervisor should be held accountable because he/she is mandated to ensure that the officers deliver essential information and follow the right procedures. According to the New Orleans police department manual (2014), all reports must be prepared by the officers and reviewed by the supervisor. However, without supervision, misconducts are inevitable since there is no follow-up. Working at an administrative level requires setting an example, providing guidance when necessary, and keeping track of reports and logs. Therefore, if the supervisor requested the reports often, the detectives could not have taken years to provide them. Even when officers disagree on specific investigations, they must do their job without bias. By coordinating actions, the supervisor minimizes unethical behavior.
How would you discipline these detectives and their supervisors?
Based on the nature of the cases and investigations on the misconducts, suspending the investigation officers and demoting the supervisor is ideal. Although the suspension is a serious step, sexual assault cases require effectiveness to ensure that future police investigations are extensive and lead to apprehension. The officers must be given time to rethink their conduct and values. Still, numerous cases were ignored for years without accountability by the supervisor. Mitigations ensure that police officer demonstrates the highest levels of integrity.
Reference
.New Orleans Police department manual (2014). https://nola.gov/nopd/publications/documents/new-orleans-police-department-policy-manual-2014-1/
