Identification in police investigation

Identification is a most important and vital function of the investigator in any investigation he may conduct. Some of the methods frequently employed are: portrait parle¹, photography and Identikit.

The portrait parlé is defined as a verbal picture or description of a human body. It was devised in 1882 by Alphonse Bertillon, a young clerk in the Paris police and is still used as the oldest means of making a physical description. Such commonly used points of personal physical description are ordinarily employed: ethnic data, height, build, head shape, face shape, complexion, hair, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, chin, ears, scars, deformities, common blood types, physical defects.

Photography is widely used in identification. Not infrequently witnesses and even officers experience difficulty in accurately describing a person, but when they are shown a photograph they are able to make a positive identification of a person.

The Identikit. In recent years, some of the particular sizes, shapes, angles and other features of the human head have been standardized to the point, that with a description and the manipulation of various plastic overlays of the Identikit, an accurate picture of a person can be made in black and white in a period of a few minutes. Such a picture then may be transmitted by teletype to other agencies, and subsequently printed in newspapers if necessary. This process has truly been an achievement and advancement in the field of identification.

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¹portrait parlé – словесный портрет

1. What is identification?

2. What methods of identification are often employed?

3. Say in brief how to make a physical description of a suspect (5 sentences).

PROJECT WORK

Prepare a presentation on one of the following problems:

1. Police Forces

2. Police Power of Interviewing

To make your presentation successful you are to meet the following requirements:

1. Prepare a presentation according to the plan given on page ???

2. time frame – 4-5 min.

3. to conclude, suggest a problem question for your fellow-students to discuss

4. use the words and expressions from the unit under consideration.

Review What You Learned

1. What can you say about identification as a crucial stage in the process of investigation?

2. What methods of identification are there?

3. What is the purpose of interviewing a witness?

4. What types of witnesses are there?

5. How to conduct an interrogation of different types of witnesses?

6. Could you make a portrait parlé of a criminal? Give an example.

Grammar

Imperatives

We use the imperative to give orders, to make offers, suggestions and requests, and to give warnings. We make the negative imperatives with don’t/do not.

1. Complete the word map with the expressions for giving orders below.

Can see, along, out, get down, legs, stay, pockets, freeze, keys.

2. Make up a dialogue with your partner using the above mentioned phrases.

3. Complete the text with the following words:

Understand, used, appointed, questioned, remain