Help needed in police research - Writers Forum

Kimba · 10-24-2004, 09:12 PM

Hi there!

I'm from Adelaide in Australia and I need a bit of help with a research topic that I'm writing. It may pertain specifically to Adelaide so I'm not sure if you can help me but here goes.

I'm looking for some information on investigative process for police. Basically, the crime is as follows:

A young kid has thrown a rock from an overhead bridge and the rock has smashed the windscreen of a car driving underneath. The rock has gone through the windscreen and hit the driver on the head and landed on the back seat. The kid has run away in fear.

What do police need to do to find the kid?

Kimba

Capulet · 10-24-2004, 09:15 PM

I'd suggest tracking down Airborneguy on the site here. He's a police officer in new york and, if willing, could be a great resource for your research.

Kimba · 10-24-2004, 09:17 PM

Thanks. I certainly will. My writing project just need that aspect in which I have to ask someone ...

Perhaps someone could direct him here if I don't see him?

Capulet · 10-25-2004, 12:28 AM

The forums have a personal message option, you could contact him directly.

mammamaia · 10-25-2004, 10:53 AM

it's pretty simple, really... first, they look for witnesses... if there were none, they're sunk, unless the rock has any smooth areas that might hold a fingerprint... if a print is found and IF the kid has been printed for any reason, they're in business... in the states, some kids are printed as a precaution in case of abduction and for various other reasons... when i was a young teen, i joined the civil air patrol and my prints were taken for that, as it's an adjunct of the air force...

all that said, if there was no serious injury, and it seems to not have been a premeditated target of that particular driver, the cops might not spend a lot of time on the incident... if it IS serious for some reason, a call might go out on the local tv news for anyone seeing a kid on that overpass to contact police...

hope this helps... hugs, maia

Nazareth · 10-25-2004, 02:02 PM

Here's a site for police codes here in the states:

http://www.cobras.org/police.htm

Here is a site for writing crime:

http://www.sfwriter.com/owindex.htm

Here is a synopsis site of the show 'Monk' You might find intertesting and helpful too:

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/mon...es/mexico.html

In your scenario- Police will most likely go through the neighborhood looking for witnesses, asking questions about kids (Because the crime you mention usually involves kids/teens). They will probably interview kidsi n the neighborhood to get a feel for who might be a bit on the wild side. If they come up with names, they will probably call the kids to the station and question them using psychology to get them to confess

In Your story- look to write about the police stumbling across a child that gets nervous and rats out his freind- it may take some time to find this child- Little clues like "Johnny was fond of breaking windows despite his parents repeated warnings to stop. The only thing the warnings accomplished was to cause Johnny to become more careful about his crime sprees." Which the police learn from a nosy neighbor who dispises children

Kimba · 10-25-2004, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mammamaia

it's pretty simple, really

Are you a police officer? No offense but when I write something, I like to make sure I get my sources directly from someone who is acutally in the industry. Right now, I can only take your suggestions as assumptions but I will look into it anyway.

Nazareth, unfortunately, the url of the police codes you posted doesn't help me a great deal because I live in Australia which obviously governs different laws. I will look at the other two again when I have time.

Nazareth · 10-25-2004, 07:41 PM

You may be able to type 'austrailian police codes' into a search engine

Kimba · 10-25-2004, 08:19 PM

Thank you for your advice. However, I'm more interested in the legal procedures regarding this sort of investigation ...

mammamaia · 10-26-2004, 11:49 AM

if you're wanting exact info on legal procedures, then you'll have to check your country/state/provincial laws...

i'm not a cop... what i've given you is pure 'informed' common sense, based on well over a half century of reading, studying, and writing... police procedures vary from place to place, so even a former officer won't be able to give you the exact details you need in re your setting, unless they've worked there...

keep in mind that some of the actions suggested above wouldn't relate to a simple rock-throwing, unless death or serious injury resulted...

Nazareth · 10-26-2004, 06:39 PM

Really? Tell that to the cop who investigated me when I was a kid then. Heck- We threw rotton apples at cars and got investigated too

Drzava · 10-26-2004, 07:33 PM

haha, i've never had any run-in's with the cops, some of my friends have, sometimes the police can be kind of excessive....

ghostman · 11-07-2004, 05:11 PM

The best information always comes from the source. If your story takes place in Australia, why study American police procedure? Why ask people who aren't cops? Why don't you just walk down to your local police station and ask? Tell them you are working on a story and you want to be accurate. I'm sure someone there would help you out. And you might even meet a cop who would be a great character in your story.

Talia_Brie · 11-07-2004, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostman

The best information always comes from the source. If your story takes place in Australia, why study American police procedure? Why ask people who aren't cops? Why don't you just walk down to your local police station and ask? Tell them you are working on a story and you want to be accurate. I'm sure someone there would help you out. And you might even meet a cop who would be a great character in your story.

Ghostman, you're assuming eveyone on this site is Amercian, and that isn't the case, and Kimba knows that.

The rest of your advice is correct though, so I won't flame you too hard

Kimba, contact the headquarters for the South Australian police department, and ask to speak to a Public Relations officer (they will be a qualified police officer specially trained to improve the public's perception of the Police). Tell them what you're doing, and ask for the information you need. Get the person's name and a contact number in case you need to speak to them again. Don't forget to acknowledge their assistance when the piece is finished, and it might be nice to send them a copy by way of thanks. It'll make it easier in the future if you need to call on their advice again.

ghostman · 11-07-2004, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talia_Brie

Ghostman, you're assuming eveyone on this site is Amercian, and that isn't the case, and Kimba knows that.

I wasn't assuming anything. People before me were suggesting different American resources for Kimba to use. A New York cop was mentioned. I wasn't necessarily writing for Kimba when I suggested he study up on Australian law - I was trying to kindly show others that any advice suggesting American resources was nonsense. So it is the others, I think, who assume everyone - including Kimba, whose nationality is stated very clearly - is American.