Scenario Project for Detective - Essay Example

Being a detective in such a scenario, there is need to certainly take various communication situations into consideration given that a case involvingmurder ought to be handled carefully. In essence, there is need to create common understanding between the detective and the other people around through the use of common symbols and speech. Thus, “communication is the process of creating meaning between two or more people through the expression and interpretation of messages,” Cleary (2008:1). There are certainly problems like barriers to communication in this scenario where the detective will need to get all the information from various witnesses with different cultural backgrounds. The major potential communication barriers likely to be encountered in this scenario include the following; perceptual, cultural, language as well as psychological barriers (Cleary 2008). However, an experienced detective can overcome these with relative ease. Perceptual barrier is mainly influenced by perception where two different people witnessing the same incident may perceive it differently. The murder of a teenager in a low income neighbourhood can be perceived as something common owing to gangsterism hence, as a specialist detective, this barrier can be overcome by carefully taking note of all the information gathered from all the witnesses at the crime scene. The cultural barrier can be a result of the fact that some people may not be at liberty to divulge any information to a stranger which can make it difficult to get all the information from the witnesses. This can be overcome by treating all the individuals at the scene as equal and important such that they will feel to be part of the situation. The other barrier is language where the people may have different languages. In order to overcome this barrier, a universal language such as English can be used or employ the use of interpreters in the event that some people with important information may just understand one language. Lastly, psychological barriers are experienced in the mind where somebody may refuse to give information as a result of boredom or bad attitude and this can be overcome by attempting to talk nicely to that person. Non verbal communication involves the use of symbols and other codes apart from speech and these can have an impact in that the detective may not be able to interpret the sign language used while trying to extract information from a witness with impaired hearing. As a detective at the scene trying to get all the information, it is of paramount importance to try and understand as many symbols used in the day to day communication as possible since nonverbal communication is often used to complement verbal communication. Interviewing is a process of verbally extracting information from different respondents with the view of gaining insight or understanding of a situation (Struwig and Bates 2004). In this case, interviewing will be done on a one on one basis at the crime scene where a teenage male has been shot dead at a corner gas station of a low income neighborhood. The process of interviewing often involves an aspect of truthfulness since this information will be disseminated to the mass public for consumption. Against this background, there is need for the detective to positively identify himself in order to avoid skepticism from the witnesses who may not be at liberty to talk to strangers. The interviewer ought to use language that is easily understood by the interviewees in order to get unbiased information that may compromise the free flow of information. Having gathered all the information, it is then documented into word format or is stored electronically in form of voice where it can be used as evidence in future. At the police station, a case is opened and all the information will be stored for future use. The technology used throughout the investigation and in the courtroom mainly depends on the use of new information and communication technology. Information can be recorded using voice recorders or can be written down manually. However, recorded information ought to be stored in form of word document or soft copy where videos and tape recorders can be used and computers play a very significant role during the contemporary period. All the information can be processed using computers and it can be stored or retrieved using the same gadgets. Ethically, a police detective should not deliberately distort information whether for known or unknown reasons especially in such a case that involves the murder of another person. Detectives ought to strive to be truthful as much as possible especially when handling sensitive issues that may lead to social upheaval or disorder where the gangsters can wage a war against each other in retaliation for the loss of the friend’s death. It ought to be taken into consideration as well that names of minors who are witnesses must not be disclosed to the public or to the media for security reasons meant to protect them. A detective should not pass the judgment but should just gather the relevant information pertaining to the case that can be used as evidence in the court of law. It follows from the dictum which posits that the accused is innocent until proven guilty by the court of law. Having done all the checks and balances in this case, a comprehensive report ought to answer especially the: who, what when, where, why and how part of the investigation process in order to get to the crux of the matter. This is a very important part of report writing exercise since it will shed more light to any other question that may arise during the course of investigating the causes of the alleged murder of the teenager. In the event that information reviewed has led to the arrest of the suspect but he has denied any knowledge about the alleged murder, then conflict resolution as a concept in the area of policing comes into play (Burger 2007). If evidence points against the suspect, then there are likely chances that the suspect is remanded in custody while investigations continue until the culprit is brought to book. The court of law is specifically meant to settle all cases as well as conflicts where the accused people would be denying knowledge of the crime. Indeed, the duty of the police is to carry out the preliminary investigations into the matter and the case is brought to the court of law which is meant to deliver justice to all the parties involved in the case. If the suspect has been remanded in custody or out on bail, subsequent interrogations ought to follow with the aim of getting to the bottom of the matter where any other relevant information that can be used as further evidence can be sought. A suspect who is on remand is not supposed to interfere with state witnesses at any cost as this will compromise on the evidence against the suspect. It is also against the law to try to extract information from the accused under duress as this would compromise the authenticity of the state’s case against the accused. Legally, any accused person in any case, no matter how big, is entitled to legal representation in the court. He can find his own lawyer to represent him in his case or can even be represented by the state in an effort to ensure that there is fair trial. Justice delivery ought to be fair every time where all the parties involved are given equal representation. It is also illegal to give a premature judgment whilst the case is still before the court of law as this will negatively influence the ultimate judgment that will be passed by the judge. It is also of paramount importance to try to be impartial as much as possible when writing a press release about a murder case. Any attempt to try to influence the judgment of a case that is still in the court of law is treated as contempt of court and is an offence. When writing to the press, the press release must only reflect the information that shows the real issue obtaining on the ground without giving personal opinions or views as this would be against the spirit of fair trial by the court of law which has a mandate to pass fair judgment to the accused person. Names of minors who are below the legal age may not be published in the press release under any condition for the interest of the youngsters who need to be protected by the law. In this case, the suspect has been charged with murder though he denies it but it is the duty of the court to preside over the issue until fair judgment is ultimately passed. The key witnesses in this case include the man with hearing impairment, the child as well as the gang members. However, the key participants are likely to be the gang members and the man with hearing impairment considering that they are above the legal age to testify or give evidence in court. Though the child has first hand information about the incident, he may not give evidence in the court as this is considered to be against the law. However, his recorded statement can still be used as evidence in the court though he will not physically appear in the court. It is allowed in the court to have witnesses appearing for as well as against the accused upon which the verdict will only be determined by the judge. Therefore, the people with first hand information about what could have transpired in the case are the key participants who will be cross examined to give their evidence. Being a detective who was the first to arrive at the crime scene, there is a big role to play as a key participant in the trial. The detective will represent the state in the case against the suspect who stands accused of murdering a teenager at the corner gas station of a low-income neighborhood. The detective is supposed to produce all the evidence recorded on the crime scene and is also supposed to stand in for the state in the prosecution of the accused person. Being a representative of the state, the detective should furnish the court of law with all the evidence that can be brought against the suspect in order for the state to prove that it has a case to prove against the suspect. The other role of the police is to ensure that there is peace and tranquility in the country hence the need for the arresting detective to give both oral and written evidence against the accused to show that the case is authentic and needs to be settled in the court which has a mandate to perform that task. Therefore, the detective has a role to play in this case. In conclusion, it can be noted that there are different aspects involved in the process of gathering evidence from witnesses at the crime scene. Certain barriers to communication may hamper the efforts to get this information but these can be overcome by taking a positive approach when dealing with key witnesses especially in a case involving murder. Being a detective, there are ethical considerations that ought to be taken into consideration and the detective will be part of the proceedings until the case has been finalized in the court of law. References Burger J. (2007)., Strategic perspectives on crime and policing., Van Schaik Publishers. CT. Cleary S. (2008)., Communication: A hands-on approach. Juta. CT. Shaw M. (2002)., Crime and Policing: Transforming Under fire. David Philip Publishers. Cape Town. Struwig F. W. and Stead G.B. (2004), Planning, Designing and Reporting Research, Pearson Education, SA Read More