Sunday, May 5, 2024

How Do I Know If The Police Are Investigating Me

Don't Miss

Strange Cars Are Parked Outside Your Home For Days

What Do You Know? – Traffic Stop Report | @COPSTV Show

Just like in the movies, police officers on the hunt for evidence tend to stake out a potential suspects house. Depending on the circumstances, they may use a marked or unmarked vehicle.

Regardless, if you see a strange vehicle lurking outside or near your home but havent seen someone getting in or out of it, then that can be a sign that youre being investigated.

But before you come to any conclusions, make sure that it really is a police car and theyre indeed after you. Maybe theyre staking out someone else. Or maybe theyre just ordinary people with a perfectly normal reason for parking their car in there.

You Have The Right To Look At Any Search Warrants

If the cops ever show up at your house and claim to have a search warrant, you can exercise your right to actually read said warrant. “You’re welcome to read at your leisure,” Christopher Hawk, a retired member of the police force, noted on Quora. “If the warrant turns out to be defective, you have remedies available through the court system. Evidence can be thrown out, civil suits can be brought against the department, etc.” Just bear in mind that the police don’t have to wait for you to read the warrant before entering your home.

Who Were The Victims

Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was a senior at the university, majoring in marketing. Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho, was also a senior, with a major in general studies. The two met as sixth graders and were best friends, Kaylee’s father, Steve Goncalves, told a crowd of hundreds who attended a vigil for the slain students.

“They went to high school together, then they started looking at colleges, they came here together. They eventually got into the same apartment together,” Steve Goncalves said. “And in the end, they died together, in the same room, in the same bed.”

Ben Mogen, Madison’s father, said at the vigil she was his only child, so “everything she ever did was such a big deal.” Talking about “Maddie” was his pride, Mogen said, and the two loved attending music concerts together.

Xana Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls, Idaho, was a marketing major and a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Ethan Chapin, a 20-year-old freshman from Mount Vernon, Washington, was a member of Sigma Chi. He majored in recreation, sport and tourism management, according to the school.

Recommended Reading: Where Do Military Police Get Stationed

Can I Find Out Who Reported Me To The Police

Generally, you wouldnt know who reported you to the police officers. The police cant come to your house and say, hey, Mr A or Mrs B asked us to arrest you. That would be abnormal, and you wouldnt even believe that.

The police do not disclose the identity of the person that arrested you except for some instances. Lets say you are being arrested for a rape case even if the police do not want to disclose their identity at first, with time, you will get to know, especially if that case warrants that you go to court.

However, the police might block any information identifying the complainant if it is just a minor investigation. It is to prevent the person from trying to get back with whoever reported them to the police.

In summary, it is dependent on the crime involved that will determine if the identity of the person that reported you to the police will be disclosed. You can also request the information of the person. That reported you to the police officers.

An Overview Of The Pre

Police Investigation Royalty Free Stock Photo

Most people imagine that the police arrest someone who is in the process of committing a crime. However, offenders often get away before the police arrive. In many cases, hours go by before someone notices a crime has occurred, such as someone coming home to discover a burglary. Once a crime has occurred and law enforcement is notified, then the police will conduct an investigation, identify a suspect, and present the matter to the district attorney.

Investigations of significant felonies or those that cross state lines may be handled by a federal agency, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Drug Enforcement Administration .

Read Also: How To Clear Your Police Record

Does Being A Good Person And Not Having A Prior Record Matter In A Criminal Case

When it comes to proving the charges, it doesnt matter they will look at the charges and what they can prove. However, your credibility is a big factor in how cases are decided police and prosecutors have to decide whether somebody is believable and whether a jury will believe them, so it can be a big deal.

Where it really comes into play, though, is in sentencing there are mandatory minimums for most offenses but if you have lived a good, honest, and law-abiding life, you will be more likely to get the minimums than the maximums, whereas someone on their third or fourth offense and lied to police during their investigation, do not get those breaks. It wont help determine whether youre guilty or innocent, but it will determine how you are treated if you are found guilty.

Recommended Reading: Do I Need A Degree To Be A Police Officer

Make Sure That You Really Are Under Investigation

Sometimes, if we already have a preconceived notion in our mind, we tend to interpret things to coincide with that notion. So before you panic and do something you might regret later on, make sure that you really are being investigated.

Talk to your neighbors, friends, and family members and ask them if someone has inquired about you the past few days. And if so, what kind of questions they were asking. If you want to, you can install a CCTV camera on your front door or your porch. This can help confirm if there really are people watching over your home.

Recommended Reading: How To Report A Pimp To The Police

No Search Without A Warrant

Law enforcement officers must be in possession of a warrant from a judge in order to legally search your home or seize your property as evidence. You do not need to let any officers into your home if they cannot provide such documentation, even if they try to intimidate you into granting them entry. You can speak clearly through the closed door if you do not feel safe opening it, demanding to see a signed warrant and denying entry if they cannot provide one.

Mayor Says Protesters Have Malicious Intent

Officers Investigate Suspicious Activity | @COPSTV

Ottawa police have confirmed to CBC News the incident is being investigated by its arson unit after receiving a call for service.

Mid-Monday afternoon, police said they were looking for two persons of interest in the case and asked anyone with information to .

Munoz said there was a confrontation between some residents and a few anti-vaccine mandate protesters outside just hours before the fire.

Police have not confirmed any link between their investigation into this incident and the ongoing convoy protest.

At a special council meeting Monday afternoon, Mayor Jim Watson spoke about the alleged arson incident, including it among a list of harassment incidents against residents and disruptions in the city he blamed on the ongoing protest.

Yesterday we learned of a horrific story that clearly demonstrates the malicious intent of these protesters occupying our city, he said, referring to the two suspects captured in the security footage posted online.

Thankfully no one was hurt, but this story could have ended very, very differently. Its extremely disturbing, and points to a desire to harm our residents.

Meanwhile, Coun. Diane Deans said one alleged detail from witnesses that the front door was duct-taped to prevent those outside from entering the building showed the escalation of their tactics knows no bounds.

Ottawa police Deputy Chief Steve Bell told council a full team from the arson unit is investigating and working to identify suspects.

You May Like: Where Do I Get A Police Report

Topic : Progression Of The Investigative Process

The investigative process is a progression of activities or steps moving from evidence gathering tasks, to information analysis, to theory development and validation, to forming reasonable ground to believe, and finally to the arrest and charge of a suspect. Knowing these steps can be helpful because criminal incidents are dynamic and unpredictable. The order in which events take place, and the way evidence and information become available for collection, can be unpredictable. Thus, only flexible general rules to structured responses can be applied. However, no matter how events unfold or when the evidence and information are received, certain steps need to be followed. These include collection, analysis, theory development and validation, suspect identification and forming reasonable grounds, and taking action to arrest, search, and lay charges.

In any case, as unpredictable as criminal events may be, the results police investigators aim for are always the same. And, you should always keep the desired results in mind to provide focus and priority to the overall investigative process. We will talk more later in this book about developing a mental map of the investigative process to assist in recording, reporting, and recounting events. It is mentioned now because a mental map is an appropriate metaphor to illustrate the investigative thinking process.

Police Questioning Of Children And Young People

If youre under 18, the police have to follow some special rules when they question you:

  • They have to explain your rights to you
  • The way they do this and the language they use must be appropriate to your age and level of understanding
  • When the police are taking a statement from you, you have to have a lawyer there, or an adult who youve chosen to be there, called your nominated adult .

Donât Miss: How To Find Police Records

You May Like: How Much Does A Police Drone Cost

You Receive Odd Phone Calls And Messages

Sometimes, the police would pretend to be someone from the bank or the insurance company. Theyd call you or send you a message to ask for any information that might be useful for them. Sometimes, theyd even tell you that you won something so youll be more open to revealing certain information. But if you didnt join a contest and you find their questions rather odd, then its probably a sign that youre under investigation.

Police or not, its not a good idea to give out vital information to strangers over the phone. The next time you receive these kinds of phone calls, thread with caution.

It’s Also Possible For Them To Get Access To Your Dna Through Dna Testing Kit Companies

Police Investigating Burglary Royalty Free Stock Image

Think twice before sending your DNA in to get tested by a company like 23andMe or Ancestry. Though it’s extremely uncommon, DNA-testing companies like these make it clear on their websites that they will comply with government and law enforcement requests for user information and DNA samples. In 2018, a sample from an ancestry website even helped Sacramento authorities catch the infamous Golden State Killer.

Don’t Miss: How To Become A Police Officer Pennsylvania

Rights On Arrest At The Police Station

Yes, you do. In fact, the fundamental right is to consult the Code of Practice which governs your detention at the police station. This sets out your rights and entitlements whilst at the police station including the right to notify somebody that you have been arrested and the right to free and independent legal advice.

If A Suspect Is Charged

If the police have enough evidence to charge the suspect, they’ll decide if:

  • they can be released until their first court hearing they may need to agree to follow certain rules, known as an ‘undertaking’
  • they can be released while the procurator fiscal decides whether the case will go to court
  • they’ll be kept in police custody until their court hearing this will be the next day unless it is a weekend or public holiday
  • they’ll be given a direct measure like a warning or fine
  • no further action will be made against them

You May Like: How To Get My Police Report Number

Rules For How The Police Behave When Theyre Questioning You

High Court Practice Note 3 NZLR 297, cl 3 Evidence Act 2006, s 4

If the police are holding you and are asking you questions, there are some rules about how pushy and challenging theyre allowed to be.

Theyre not supposed to question you like a prosecution lawyer does when cross-examining you in court. In general a cross-examination will be where theyre trying to attack or break down your version of events, asking you leading questions, and insisting to you that youre lying to them.

Leading questions are ones that suggest, directly or indirectly, a particular answer to the question like You stole it, didnt you?. By contrast, a question put in a neutral way Did you steal it? isnt a leading question and would be OK.

Also, if the police ask you about things other people have said or about other evidence they have, they have to give you a fair explanation of what was said or what the other evidence is. In other words, they cant lie about other statements or evidence that they might have, as a way of pressuring you to admit a crime. For example, they cant say that another person has said they saw you committing a crime when this isnt true.

Note: All those rules explained above also protect you whenever the police have obtained enough evidence to charge you with a crime, even if youre not under arrest and the police arent holding you.

What Happens After The Investigation Report

Delane Gordon’s traffic stop gone wrong Under investigation

If the allegation or concern raised is unfounded, the file is closed.

If the allegation or concern raised is founded, the Commission considers whether to order corrective action. In cases of fraud in an appointment process, the Commission may also decide to provide a copy of the investigation report and any relevant information to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, pursuant to section 133 of the Public Service Employment Act.

In cases where the investigation of an internal appointment process was requested by a deputy head under subsection 67 of the Public Service Employment Act, the deputy head is responsible for approving the investigation report and determining appropriate corrective action.

Read Also: How To Get Insurance Information From Police Report

The Police Don’t Have The Right To Look Through Your Phone Even When You’re In Custody

Unless you give your express consent or there is a warrant, the police do not have the right to look through the contents of your phoneeven when you’re in their custody. This was decided in the landmark Riley v. California case in 2014, for which Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. decided that, since “digital data stored on a cell phone cannot itself be used as a weapon to harm an arresting officer or to effectuate the arrestee’s escape,” there is no immediate need for an officer to access the contents of a person’s digital devices.

What Is A Federal Investigation

A federal investigation is the first step in the criminal justice process at the federal level. As a government contractor, or individual associated with the federal government, understand that agents from the Department of Justice or IG office may have received a complaint that your company may have violated federal procurement laws and therefore has committed a crime. The complaint can come from an internal source, another contractor, or the contracting officer himself. A federal investigation, therefore, is the process where investigators try to find evidence that you or your company has committed a crime. The reality is that by the time you find out that you are under investigation by the federal government, law enforcement agencies already have a case built against you. Having top government contractor investigative lawyers on your side is critical at the beginning.

Get Important Tips That Can Save You Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars. Learn the signs of being under federal investigation.

Oftentimes, if the DOJ or FBI brings you under its investigation claws, they may not confirm that you are a target. If you do not receive a target letter, you do have a right to ask them if you are actually a target. If at any time you have a hunch that you are under investigation but not charged for criminal procurement fraud, you want to seriously consider reaching out to a criminal defense attorney.

How Long Does a Federal Investigation Take?

Don’t Miss: How To Lookup Police Reports Online

You Are Charged With An Offence

After investigating the case the police and the Crown Prosecution will decide whether to charge you with an offence.

For information what happens after you are charged see our legal pages on .

Example

Harry is a 68 year old with no previous history of mental health problems and no criminal history. He was arrested for assaulting a stranger.

At the police station he was assessed by the . The AHCP raised concerns but thought he was well enough to be interviewed and kept in a police cell. The custody sergeant spoke to the who carried out a Mental Health Act assessment, and he was detained under section 2 for assessment. He was diagnosed with dementia with psychotic symptoms.

In light of him being sectioned he was not interviewed, and the police decided to take no further action in relation to the assault. His local community mental health team provided support once he was discharged into the community.

How To Check If Someone Has Investigated You

Best 25+ Police officer resume ideas on Pinterest

Knowing if you are being investigated can be the difference between sleeping at night or constantly looking out the window for unmarked vans. While it may be difficult to determine if you are being investigated by the police, the FBI, or a private detective, being aware of your surroundings and using some common sense may help you to find out.

Read Also: What Qualifications Do You Need To Be A Police Officer

More articles

Popular Articles