CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Code:

CRJ260

Instructor:     

Jesse L. Harris, Jr.

E-mail: jesseharris@forrestcollege.edu

            jhar53@charter.net

Phone: 864-844-5893

Course Schedule:

This course meets in room 104 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 pm to 7:33 pm on starting June 30, 2008 to September 13, 2008

Credit Hours:

4.5 Credit hours awarded upon successful completion of course requirements

Text:

Criminal Investigation, Wayne W. Bennett and Karen M. Hess, 8th Edition, 2007, Wadsworth-Thomas Learning, ISBN#-13: 978-0-495-09340-4.

Course Description:

Provides the student with a working knowledge of criminal investigation principles, techniques, law, and procedure. The investigation process is studied from basic concepts to the application of the basic elements for prosecution of criminal cases. Included is a study of crime scene documentation, report writing, crime scene investigation, interrogation, burglary, assault, sex crimes, death cases, homicide and murder, motor vehicle theft, organized crime and terrorism

Course Objectives:

Note:  You may expect that questions on your tests/exams will be based upon demonstrating your knowledge of the following course objectives.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • Give an overview of the criminal investigation process
  • Understand legal considerations
  • Understand the myth and reality of crime solving
  • Document crime scenes and effective reports
  • Know the preliminary investigation
  • Document the crime scene
  • Understand the process of search and seizure
  • Use the principals for identification of criminal suspects
  • Understand undercover operations and mechanics of arrest
  • Apply the principals of interviews and interrogations
  • Process information and informant management
  • Correctly process physical evidence
  • Testifying in court

Prerequisite:

None

Course Outline:

NOTE: Instructor reserves the right to modify the outline as needed

Week One                  Introduction and Chapter 1

Week Two                  Chapters 2 and 3

Week Three               Chapters 4 and 5-Student Project Assignment

Week Four                 Chapters 6 and 7

Week Five                  Chapter 8 and 9

Week Six                    Chapters 10 and 11-TEST 1

Week Seven               Chapter 12 and 13

Week Eight                Chapter 14 and 15

Week Nine                  Chapter 16 and 17

Week Ten                   Chapter 18 and 19 – Student Project Due (9/4)

Week Eleven              Chapter 20 and 21 – TEST 2-Final

Instruction Method:

A variety of instruction techniques will be used in this course.  These practices include (but are not limited to) class lecture; small group work; discussion; group projects; out-of-class assignments; individual assignments; electronically based research; expected e-mail communications, etc.

Grading:

Class Attendance (being physically present in class) .................................... 10%

(This means 1 point for each week you physically attend class)

Cumulative Test 1 .......................................................................................... 30%

Cumulative Test 2 .......................................................................................... 30%

Individual Project (assigned by instructor) ..................................................... 30%

*Missed tests:  If you miss a test, you must schedule to take the test within one week of having missed it or you will not be eligible to take the test at all.

Grading Scale:                        A          =          90-100

                                    B          =          80-89

                                    C         =          70-79

                                    D         =          60-69

                                    F          =          Below 60

Attendance:

Regular attendance is expected because it is through regular attendance that you will hear and learn from the experience of your instructor as well as from the input (questions, answers, discussions, concerns) of others of the members of your class.  You may also “attend” classes (when you are not physically able to be present in class) by communicating with members of your assigned group and finding out from them what class materials you have missed and/or other aspects of what went on in class that you should know about.  You can also “attend” by keeping in touch with your instructor through the use of e-mail.  Let your instructor and members of your group know that you might be late, or that you’re too ill to come to class, or that you’ve missed an assignment and are trying your best to complete it, etc.  As you can see by the section on grade assignment (above), you will earn one point for every week of perfect attendance.  You attend ten weeks and you receive a very positive 10% of your grade.  You must be in attendance for your scheduled test dates.  You must be in attendance for your scheduled group presentation dates.

Make-up work:

It is the individual student’s responsibility to find out from one of his classmates and/or group members what materials he/she might have missed as the result of having missed a class session.  Call your classmates; e-mail them; keep up with them; be responsible for getting the information that you need in order to demonstrate competence in this course.

Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and may be punished by failure on exam, or homework or failure of the course, and/or suspension /expulsion from the college.

Resources

The College has adequate resources to assist students in researching projects (i.e. books, magazines, newspapers, Internet, LIRN).

Changes

In accordance with the policy of the College, your instructor has the right to change the syllabus in a manner that he/she feels necessary in order to better accomplish the goal(s) of this course.