OBSERVATION DEFINED: TO PERCEIVETO PERCEIVE

TO WATCH ATTENTIVELYTO WATCH ATTENTIVELY

TO MAKE A SYSTEMATIC OR TO MAKE A SYSTEMATIC OR SCIENTIFIC EXAMINATION OF AN SCIENTIFIC EXAMINATION OF AN EVENTEVENT

What’s for Sale in Town?What’s for Sale in Town?

The RoomThe Room

Suspect DescriptionSuspect Description

Suspect Description?Suspect Description?

3 STAGES OF 3 STAGES OF OBSERVATION OBSERVATION

What crime is What crime is most likely most likely

being being committed?committed?

Scene of DeathScene of Death

How to Locate?How to Locate?

3 PHASES OF ATTENTION INVOLUNTARY

VOLUNTARY

HABITUAL

What’s in the garage?What’s in the garage?

Seat Type & Value?

Type of RoomType of Room

Business IdentityBusiness Identity

LocationLocation

FACTORS THAT FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PHASES OF INFLUENCE PHASES OF ATTENTIONATTENTION SIZESIZE CHANGECHANGE INTERESTINTEREST PHYSICAL CONDITIONINGPHYSICAL CONDITIONING SUGGESTIONSUGGESTION REPETITIONREPETITION

TWO BASIC PROBLEMS TWO BASIC PROBLEMS WITH MAKING WITH MAKING ACCURATE USEFUL ACCURATE USEFUL OBSERVATIONOBSERVATION MUCH OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE MUCH OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE

POLICE OFFICER IS OFTEN OBSCURED POLICE OFFICER IS OFTEN OBSCURED BY IRRELEVANT OBJECTS, OR EVENTSBY IRRELEVANT OBJECTS, OR EVENTS

IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO TELL, AT THE IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO TELL, AT THE TIME OF AN OCCURRENCE, WHAT TIME OF AN OCCURRENCE, WHAT WILL WILL BE IMPORTANT LATERBE IMPORTANT LATER

5 OBSTACLES OF 5 OBSTACLES OF ACCURATE ACCURATE OBSERVATIONOBSERVATION

PREDJUDICEPREDJUDICE PHYSICAL LIMITATIONSPHYSICAL LIMITATIONS EXTERNAL FACTORSEXTERNAL FACTORS PAST EXPERIENCESPAST EXPERIENCES DISTRACTING INFLUENCESDISTRACTING INFLUENCES

Robbery Robbery Suspect Suspect

DescriptionDescription

Number of PeopleNumber of People

Crime Scene or Mess?Crime Scene or Mess?

LocationLocation

Suspect Description?Suspect Description?

EXAMPLES OF EXAMPLES OF COMMON COMMON PERCEPTION ERRORSPERCEPTION ERRORS SOUNDS

ODORS

FEELING OR TOUCH

PASSAGE OF TIME

SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

8 KEY FACTORS 8 KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECT THAT AFFECT PERCEPTIONPERCEPTION PAST EXPERIENCESPAST EXPERIENCES MATURITYMATURITY MENTAL CONDITIONMENTAL CONDITION EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENTEMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT PHYSICAL CONDITIONINGPHYSICAL CONDITIONING TRAININGTRAINING CULTURAL BACKGROUNDCULTURAL BACKGROUND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDETHNIC BACKGROUND

Suicide or Homicide?Suicide or Homicide?

Location & Location & Season?Season?

What’s going on?What’s going on?

POLICE AUTHORITY TO DETAINPOLICE AUTHORITY TO DETAIN

Terry v. Ohio, 1968

In In TerryTerry, the US Supreme Court upheld , the US Supreme Court upheld the authority of the police to stop or the authority of the police to stop or detain (or seize) a person where the detain (or seize) a person where the

officer observes officer observes unusual conductunusual conduct which leads the officer reasonably to which leads the officer reasonably to

conclude, in light of his/her experience conclude, in light of his/her experience (including training), that criminal (including training), that criminal

activity may be activity may be afootafoot..““Terry Stop” vs. “Terry Frisk”Terry Stop” vs. “Terry Frisk”

Reasonable Suspicion + Armed & Reasonable Suspicion + Armed & Dangerous =Dangerous =

TerryTerry requires an officer to articulate a requires an officer to articulate a reasonablereasonable belief that a suspect is armed and belief that a suspect is armed and poses a threat before the officer is permitted to poses a threat before the officer is permitted to conduct a conduct a limitedlimited “Pat Down” of the suspect’s “Pat Down” of the suspect’s outer clothing.outer clothing.Just because I can “Terry Stop” someone Just because I can “Terry Stop” someone doesn’t automatically give me doesn’t automatically give me the right to frisk them for a the right to frisk them for a weaponweapon..

POLICE AUTHORITY TO DETAINPOLICE AUTHORITY TO DETAIN

Terry v. Ohio, 1968

While an officer may want to conduct While an officer may want to conduct a frisk for “a frisk for “officer safetyofficer safety” purposes, ” purposes, the law requires more than that. the law requires more than that. Reasonable suspicion that someone’s Reasonable suspicion that someone’s presently armed and dangerous is just presently armed and dangerous is just what it sounds like, but most what it sounds like, but most importantly, the officer has to importantly, the officer has to have have factsfacts to support that to support that conclusion.conclusion.

POLICE AUTHORITY TO DETAINPOLICE AUTHORITY TO DETAIN

Terry v. Ohio, 1968Search or Search or “Frisk” “Frisk” is going to be is going to be limitedlimited to searching for to searching for hardhard objects… objects… That the suspect could use to That the suspect could use to hurthurt the the officer like guns, pocket knives, mace, officer like guns, pocket knives, mace, clubs, etc… clubs, etc… Not limited to just those things we Not limited to just those things we ordinarily think are weapons…  ordinarily think are weapons…  It could also be things like car keys or It could also be things like car keys or pens because those could pens because those could hurthurt an an officer as well…officer as well…

Appearance may = Appearance may = FriskFrisk

SuspectSuspectConductConduct

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