Dialogue
Officer 1: So which constable do you think deserves to be promoted to sergeant?
Officer 2: I think that Constable Henry is the best choice.
Officer 1: Really? Why is that?
Officer 2: Well, he’s been with the department for three years and he has a strong endorsement from his supervisor.
Officer 1: That is true. However, I’m not sure he has the necessary leadership skills for being a sergeant.
Officer 2: He did lead a group of officers during a recent operation.
Officer 1: And he did quite well. But I’m not convinced he could lead on a daily basis.
Officer 2: Who do you think would be a better candidate then?
Officer 1: I’d go with Constable Wilson. He’s constantly shown leadership when on assignments.
Officer 2: No one can argue with that.
Officer 1: Second, he’s been with the department for five years. It seems it’s about time for him to rise up the ranks.
Officer 2: What do you think about Constable Yates, our final candidate?
Officer 1: She is also an excellent choice.
Officer 2: My concern with her is that she is just too new.
Officer 1: Right. So it’s … (?) then.
Officer 2: Agreed.
(?) Who was recommended for a promotion? Why?
Check (√) the factors that are important for granting a promotion.
1 ____ number of arrests
2 ____ time with department
3 ____ popularity among peers
4 ____ leadership experience
Act out the dialogue with a partner.
A Detective
In Britain a detective is a police officer who, like other police officers, tries to prevent crime where possible. But when a crime has been committed his job is to investigate, to discover what has happened, to identify and arrest the culprit. Unlike other police officers, the detectives do not wear a uniform; they usually work in civilian clothes. Within the police organization the detectives enjoy a higher standing than other officers.
There are also private detectives, who are independent of the police and are hired by the public or companies to investigate particular cases.
The detective is greatly helped in his work by forensic science – the scientific investigation of crime – which can reveal clues invisible to the naked eye. Fingerprint evidence is vitally important, but many suspects are now convicted as a result of DNA profiling, a recent development that can identify a person from a single body cell – for example, from hair or blood – left at the scene of a crime. However, much of a detective’s work still involves asking people questions to get as much information as possible about a crime.
Typically, a detective works in a small team of about three or four officers based at a police station. Their job is to investigate crimes that take place in the local area. These crimes include burglaries, assaults on people and robberies.
The victim of a crime can be the most useful source of information leading to solving a case. If the victim is not present when the crime takes place, the search for other witnesses becomes vitally important. The detective needs also to consider the care and support of the victim, as he or she may be distressed or injured. An investigation also involves visiting the scene, where preserving the clues present is among the detective’s top priorities. A successful investigation will result in the arrest of the person who committed the offence. The evidence gathered will be collated by the detective and passed on to the public official responsible for prosecuting the case in court.
I. Find the English equivalents for the following word combinations; memorize them.
1. арестовать преступника
2. работать в гражданской одежде
3. не зависеть от кого-либо
4. обнаружить улики, невидимые невооруженным глазом
5. сопоставление результатов проверки по ДНК
6. поиск свидетелей
7. сохранение улик
8. дело первостепенной важности
9. изучить, сравнить, сопоставить вещественные доказательства
II. Who are all the people printed in bold? Explain in English.
III. Complete the following word combinations that name the actions of a detective; use them in sentences of your own.
1. to prevent … 6. to get …
2. to investigate … 7. to visit …
3. to identify … 8. to preserve …
4. to arrest … 9. to collate …
5. to ask … 10. to search for …
IV. Make up a mind map of the legal terms you meet in the text, as in the example:
V. Continue the list of questions to the text and then be ready to retell the text answering them.
1. Who is a detective?
2. What is his job?
3. Who are private detectives?
4. Who is a detective greatly helped by?
5 …
Give a written translation of the text.