| A Child Is Missing (ACIM) | This program, started in 1997, was created to assist law enforcement officers in locating missing children, as well as disabled and mentally challenged individuals, and elderly persons, such as those suffering from Alzheimers.
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| AAMVANET | Maintained by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, this computerized network allows U.S. and Canadian agencies to share information about driver's licenses and motor vehicle matters.
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| accelerant | In fire starting, any flammable fluid or compound that speeds the progress of a fire. Also called a booster.
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| account takeover | A follow-on crime to identity theft. In this scenario, the possessor of your identity changes where your bill is being mailed to and quickly runs up charges before you are aware of the problem.
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| action stereotyping | Occurs when an officer expects an event to unfold in a particular way; it can result in the officer's failure to see the event the way it actually occurred.
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| active system | A type of vehicle antitheft device which requires that the driver do something to activate and deactivate the system every time the vehicle is parked or driven.
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| administrative log | A written record of the actions taken by the crime scene coordinator, including assignments and release of the scene.
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| admissibility | A legal criterion used to determine whether an item of evidence can be presented in court; requires that the evidence have relevance, materiality, and competence.
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| admission | A person's acknowledgment of certain facts or circumstances that tend to incriminate him or her with respect to a crime but are not complete enough to constitute a confession.
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| advance-fee scheme | These are operated in a bewildering variety of ways; goods, services, or a portion of a fortune are promised contingent upon the person being contacted paying an advanced or "up-front" fee. The essence of these is always (1) you pay before receiving anything, and (2) you never receive anything, unless it is a smaller amount designed to "hook" you into coming up with a really large advanced fee.
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| affidavit | A sworn, written statement of the information known to an officer that serves as the basis for the issuance of an arrest warrant or a search warrant.
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| affinity fraud | These include many different types of frauds perpetrated upon groups such as church members who know and trust each other, and have an affinity for one another. Often, a person of high status in the group, such as its pastor, president, or a member of the governing board will be recruited and will unknowingly help further the scheme by endorsing it.
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| affirmation | The process in which a witness acknowledges that he or she understands and undertakes the obligation of an oath (i.e., to tell the truth with a realization of the penalties for perjury); a means of establishing a witness's competence.
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| agrichemical | Any of various chemical products used on farms; includes pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides.
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| agroterrorism | The use of biological agents as weapons against the agricultural and food supply industries.
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| algor mortis | The decrease in body temperature that occurs after death.
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| alligatoring | The checking of charred wood, which gives it the appearance of alligator skin.
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| alternative light systems (ALSs) | Portable lasers and handheld ultraviolet lighting used to locate physical evidence at the crime scene; particularly helpful in locating trace evidence.
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| amateur burglar | Burglars who operate on the basis of impulse or opportunity, with no planning. Often use sheer force to enter, ransacking the premises for anything of value. May become violent if detected and commit secondary crimes (e.g., murder, rape).
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| Amber Plan | A voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies and broadcasters to activate an urgent news bulletin in the most serious child abduction cases.
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| American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) | An international society devoted to maintaining the highest standards of practice at crime laboratories; conducts an accreditation program for laboratories and education programs for lab -personnel.
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| Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) | A federal law which establishes the workplace rights of those with perceived or actual disabilities.
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| amido black | A dye that is sensitive to blood and thus is used in developing fingerprints contaminated with blood.
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| amphetamines | Stimulants that increase blood pressure as well as heart, respiratory, and metabolic rates; produces decreased appetite, hyperalert senses, and a general state of stress that lasts a prolonged period.
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| anger-excitation rape-murder | This crime is designed to inflict pain and terror on the victim for the gratification of the perpetrator. The prolonged torture of the victim energizes the killer's fantasies and temporarily satisfies a lust for domination and control.
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| anger-retaliatory rape-murder | This type of planned murder involves overkill. It is an anger-venting act that expresses symbolic revenge on a female victim.
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| anthrax | An acute infectious disease with three forms (cutaneous, intestinal, and inhalation), which differ in the means of their transmission, symptoms, and lethality; also, a biological agent.
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| anthropometry | Developed by Alphonse Bertillon in the late 19th century, the study and comparison of body measurements as a means of criminal identification.
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| archaeological looting | The illegal, unscientific removal of archaeological resources from public, tribal, or private land.
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| arrest | The process of taking a person into legal custody to answer a criminal charge.
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| arrest warrant | A judicial order commanding that a particular person be arrested and brought before a court to answer a criminal charge.
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| assignment sheets | Written reports completed by persons assigned tasks at a crime scene that document what they have done and found.
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| associative evidence | Bidirectional evidence that connects the -perpetrator to the scene or victim, or connects the scene or victim to the perpetrator.
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| ATM attacks | The seizure and removal of ATMs from their rightful location to another place where they can be broken into, or the attempted or successful act of breaking into them where they are located. Applicable state statutes vary, so such attacks may be charged as a larceny or a burglary depending on the location of the crime.
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| attack code | A malicious software program intended to impair or destroy the functioning of a computer or a network resource.
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| autoerotic death | Death from accidental asphyxiation as a result of masochistic activities of the deceased. Also called sexual asphyxia.
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| Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) | A computerized system, maintained by the FBI, that stores and compares millions of fingerprints and is used to find matches for identification purposes.
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| autopsy | The medical examination of a body to determine the time, and cause, of death; required in all cases of violent or suspicious death.
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| avionics | The electronic equipment (e.g., radio, navigation) on an aircraft.
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| bank examiner con | A tried-and-true trick to separate unwary people from their money. The scam usually unfolds this way: A con identifying themselves as a bank examiner or police officer approaches a person with a tale about how someone is embezzling money at the bank and help is needed to identify that person. The victim is asked to withdraw money from their account and then meet the bank examiner who gives them a "cashier's check" for the money withdrawn. The victim is told not to deposit the check for a week in order that the investigation not be compromised. This action is repeated with other victims during the week and then the cons disappear along with the money they collected, leaving the victims holding worthless "cashier" checks.
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| barbiturates | Short-, intermediate-, and long-lasting depressants (e.g., secobarbital, amobarbital) that when stopped abruptly can cause convulsions and death; nicknamed after the capsule or pill color, or the manufacturer's name.
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| basic yellow 40 | Used after superglue fuming, a dye that causes latent prints to fluoresce under alternative lighting.
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| battered-child syndrome | The clinical term for the mental difficulties sustained by a physically abused child.
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| behavioral evidence analysis (BEA) | A deductive and evidence-based method of criminal profiling.
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| be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) | Part of the preliminary investigation, a notification broadcast to officers that contains detailed information on suspects and their vehicles.
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| Bertillon, Alphonse | Recognized worldwide as the father of personal identification; he developed anthropometry.
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| Biggers-Brathwaite Factors Test | A test that balances the reliability of eyewitness identification (as determined by five factors specified by the Supreme Court) with the corrupting effect of any suggestive procedures; enables a highly reliable identification to be used in court even if something jeopardized the fairness of the identification procedure.
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| biological agents | Certain microorganisms and toxins produced by organisms (e.g., smallpox, anthrax, plague, botulism) that cause human illness or death and could be used as terrorist weapons; typically slower acting than chemical agents.
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| black market peso exchange (BMPE) | A sophisticated method of money laundering which is typically operated to convert drug or other illicitly gained money into funds which appear to be from legitimate sources.
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| bobbies | A colloquial term used in reference to British police constables; derived by the public from the first name of Sir Robert Peel, whose efforts led to the creation of the first metropolitan police force in London.
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| body language | Gestures, demeanor, facial expressions, and other nonverbal signals that convey, usually involuntarily, a person's attitudes, impressions, truthfulness, and so on.
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| bone rustlers | Unauthorized fossil hunters, who loot public and private lands.
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| bore | The diameter of a gun barrel's interior between its opposing high sides (the lands).
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| Bow Street Runners | Established by Henry Fielding in 1748, a group of volunteer, nonuniformed home owners who helped catch thieves in London by rushing to crime scenes and beginning investigations, thus acting as the first modern detective force. By 1785, some were paid government detectives.
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| brands | On livestock, registered combinations of numbers, letters, marks, and shapes that establish unique identifications.
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| buccal swab | Sterile cotton swabs used to obtain saliva from the mouth of a suspect for DNA analysis.
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| burden of going forward | In a criminal trial, the responsibility of the defense to present enough evidence to create a reasonable doubt of guilt in the jurors' minds; an optional burden, as the defense is not required to present any evidence.
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| burden of proof | In a criminal trial, the requirement that the prosecution establish the defendant's guilt beyond, and to the exclusion of, every reasonable doubt.
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| burglary | The crime of breaking and entering a house or other building belonging to another with the intent to commit a crime therein.
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| burglary checklist | A police-generated written list of investigative steps which begin with the arrival of the first officer at the scene through prosecution.
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| burglary tools | Tools used in the commission of a burglary; often are ordinary household tools, but may be modified for increased effectiveness in breaking and entering.
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| burn indicators | Any effects of heat or partial burning that indicate a fire's rate of development, points of origin, temperature, duration, and time of occurrence and the presence of flammable liquids.
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| cadaveric spasm | The instantaneous tightening of an extremity or other part of the body at the time of death. Also called death grip.
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| caliber | The diameter of a bullet; somewhat larger than the bore of the weapon from which the bullet is fired.
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| car, recreational vehicle, and trailer burglaries | The act of breaking and entering such places to commit an unlawful act therein. These acts may, depending on the state and fact situation, be chargeable as a burglary or as a larceny. Their inclusion in the burglary chapter is predicated by the fact that regardless of what charge is actually made, the techniques used to gain entry and the investigation of these acts is kindred to burglaries generally.
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| cargo theft | The theft of items from or in commercial motor -vehicles.
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| carjacking | The crime of taking a motor vehicle from the motorist or passenger, or from his or her immediate presence, by use of force, fear, or threat of force, with the intent to temporarily or permanently deprive the owner of its use.
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| catalytic combustion detector | A portable device that oxidizes any combustible gases in a sample; used to detect residues of flammable-liquid accelerants at fire scenes. Also called sniffer, combustible-gas indicator, explosimeter, and vapor detector.
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| chain of custody | The witnessed, unbroken, written chronological record of everyone who had an item of evidence, and when each person had it; also accounts for any changes in the -evidence.
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| charging | The act of formally asserting that a particular person is to be prosecuted for a crime.
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| charring | The scorching of materials by fire; used to deduce the direction of fire spread by comparing relative depths of char throughout the scene.
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| check kiters | People who open accounts at several banks and then knowingly write a bad check on their account at bank 1 and then cover it with a bad check written on their account at bank 2 and so on. Eventually the scheme falls apart because the sums keep getting larger and larger and cannot be maintained indefinitely.
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| chemical agents | Rapidly acting substances (e.g., mustard gas, sarin, V agents) that produce a variety of incapacitating symptoms or death; as weapons, can cause mass casualties and devastation.
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| chemical explosions | Explosions in which a high-pressure gas is produced by reactions that involve changes in the basic chemical nature of the fuel; commonly caused by the -burning of hydrocarbon fuels (e.g., natural gas, gasoline, lubricating oils).
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| child pornography | The sexually explicit visual depiction of a minor (as defined by statute); includes photographs, negatives, slides, magazines, movies, videotapes, and computerized images.
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| chop shop | An illegal operation at which stolen cars are disassembled and their traceable parts altered or disposed of so that untraceable parts can be sold to repair shops, salvage yards, and indiscriminate buyers.
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| Christian Identity theology | A right-wing philosophy expressing the superiority of the white Aryan race over the forces of Satan (people of color and Jews). Central to the CI belief is a distortion of the Bible supporting the creation of "pre-Adamites," or people of color, the sexual union of Eve and Satan in the Garden of Eden giving rise to the Jewish race, and the future physical battle of Armageddon between Aryan people and the forces of Satan (Jews and non-whites).
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| clandestine drug laboratories | Illicit operations that produce a variety of illegal drugs for sale and distribution; due to the chemicals, processes used, and workers' inexperience, police and firefighters, as well as the public, can face severe danger on location.
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| class characteristics | Characteristics of physical evidence that are common to a group of objects or persons.
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| cleared by arrest | The classification assigned to an offense when the suspect has been arrested and there is sufficient evidence to file a formal charge.
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| cloning (1) | The creation of a second legitimate vehicle by -counterfeiting or duplicating identification numbers and ownership documents.
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| cloning (2) | The illegal programming of cellular phones by overwriting their access codes with the codes of legitimate cellular customers; done through a personal computer or cloning "black box."
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| cocaine | A natural stimulant extracted from the leaves of the coca plant; illegally sold as a white, translucent, crystalline powder, which is often adulterated.
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| codeine | An opiate in tablet, liquid, and injectable forms that produces less analgesia, sedation, and respiratory depression than morphine.
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| CODIS | See Combined DNA Index System.
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| cognitive interview technique | An interviewing approach in which a witness is asked to recall events and details in different ways as a means of fostering the witness's recollections.
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| cold case investigation | Assigning detectives to examine cases that went unsolved, which includes using new advanced technology that was unavailable before to analyze old evidence, and re-interviewing witnesses who were previously hostile. In some cases, the original detectives assigned the case were simply overworked and could not allocate enough time to properly work it.
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| Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) | Developed by the FBI, a database of convicted-offender and known- and unknown-subject DNA profiles that is used to find matches and to link unsolved crimes in multiple jurisdictions.
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| commercial-vehicle theft | The theft of vehicle tractor units and trailers.
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| competency (of a witness) | A witness's qualification for testifying in court, which depends on circumstances that affect the person's legal ability to function as a sworn witness (e.g., age, mental state).
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| component swapping | A fraudulent practice in which manufacturers (e.g., of computers) use parts from the lowest-cost supplier but do not inform consumers that the parts are nonstandard.
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| computer abuse | Any intentional act involving knowledge of computer use or technology in which the perpetrator could have made a gain and the victim could have experienced a loss; includes acts that may not be covered by criminal laws.
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| computer crime | Any illegal act in which knowledge of computer technology is used to commit the offense.
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| computer manipulation crime | Any act that involves changing data or creating records in an electronic system for the purpose of facilitating another crime, typically fraud or embezzlement.
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| computer vandalism | The unauthorized removal of valuable information from a computer system, thereby preventing the legitimate user or owner from having access to that information.
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| Computer Voice Stress Analyzer (CVSA) | A method of lie detection originally developed in 1988 by the National Institute for Truth Verification (NITV). By 2004, some 1,400 agencies were using it instead of the polygraph. The CVSA notes microvariations in the audible and non-audible portions of speech to identify deception. The CVSA is presently the first significant challenge to the dominance of the polygraph in 85 years.
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| concentric fracture lines | Lines that roughly circle the point of impact in a glass window.
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| confabulation | In hypnosis, the subject's fabrication of recollections to fill in gaps in his or her actual memory.
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| confession | The acknowledgment by a person accused of a crime that he or she is guilty of that crime and committed every element of the offense; must exclude any reasonable doubt about the possibility of innocence.
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| confidential VIN | A duplicate vehicle identification number stamped into a vehicle's frame or body in a place known only to the manufacturer and law enforcement specialists in vehicle identification and auto theft investigation.
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| contact burns | Burns on the skin caused by contact with flames or hot solid objects (e.g., irons, cigarettes).
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| contaminated/visible prints | Prints created when fingers contaminated with blood, face powder, or a similar material touch a clean surface.
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| corpus delicti evidence | Evidence that substantiates elements whose commission or omission must be demonstrated to have occurred in order to prove a case.
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| crack or rock cocaine | See rock cocaine.
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| cramming | The intentional process of placing unauthorized, misleading, inaccurate or deceptive charges on the victims' telephone bills. While telephone companies may legally place such charges on your bill on behalf of other companies, it is also a method by which scams can also be run by those other companies.
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| credibility (of a witness) | That quality of a witness that renders his or her testimony worthy of belief; established in terms of presence, consciousness, and attentiveness during interviews.
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| credit repair scam | A type of advanced fee scam in which people with bad or poor credit are promised their records can be cleansed of negative entries. New credit cards may also be promised as part of the scam.
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| crime | The commission of any act that is prohibited, or the omission of any act that is required by the penal code of an organized political state.
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| crime analysis | The use of systematic analytical methods to acquire timely and pertinent information on crime patterns and trend correlations; subdivided into administrative, strategic, and tactical analysis.
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| crime laboratory | A scientific organization that analyzes material collected from crime scenes and suspects to help determine whether a crime was committed and, if so, how, when, and by whom it was committed.
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| crime scene | The location at which a crime was committed.
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| crime scene control | The procedure of limiting and documenting access to the crime scene to ensure that physical evidence is not accidentally or deliberate altered or removed. The procedure begins with the arrival of the first officer at the scene and continues until the scene is released from police -control.
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| crime scene entry log sheet | A written chronological record of all persons who enter and leave the crime scene and the times they do so, along with their reason for entering.
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| crime scene release | The end of crime scene processing and the return of the premises or area to the owner or another responsible person; determined by the scene coordinator.
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| crime scene search patterns | Used to locate physical evidence at a crime scene; there are five patterns: spiral, strip/line, grid, zone/quadrant, and pie/wheel.
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| criminal enterprise homicide | A murder committed for material gain.
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| criminalistics | The application of scientific disciplines, such as geology, physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics, to criminal investigation and the study of physical evidence.
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| crimogens | (1) An individually known offender who is responsible for a large number of crimes; (2) one victim who reports a large number of crimes.
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| cross-contamination | In a trial, the questioning of a witness who was initially called by the opposing party.
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| cross-examination | In a trial, the questioning of a witness who was initially called by the opposing party.
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| cryptanalysis software | Software used to intrusively access secured information by breaking down encryption.
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| crystal violet | A dye used to develop latent prints on the adhesive side of almost any kind of tape.
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| crystallized methamphetamine | A long-acting stimulant originally in pill or injectable form (crystal meth, speed) but now in a smokable, odorless version (ice); in solid form, resembles an ice chip but liquifies when lighted.
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| cyberstalking | The crime of harassing or threatening victims by means of electronic technologies (e.g., through e-mail and Internet chat rooms or news groups).
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| cyberterrorism | The use of electronic tools to disrupt or shut down critical infrastructure components, such as energy, transportation, and government operations.
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| dactylography | The study and comparison of fingerprints as a means of criminal identification; first used systematically for that purpose in England in 1900, but a means of identification since the first century.
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| date-rape drugs | Drugs that facilitate rape by debilitating the victim; they include Rohypnol, GHB, and many depressants and benzodiazapines.
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| Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | A 1993 case in which the Supreme Court held that the admissibility of an expert's testimony or a scientific technique's results depends on a preliminary assessment, made by the trial judge, of the principles and methodology involved.
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| decoys | A police officer who is disguised to resemble the type of victims who are being targeted for robbery. This is especially true for street robberies.
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| deductive reasoning | The thought process that moves from general premises to specific details—for example, a hypothesis about the crime is developed and then tested against the factual situation to arrive at a conclusion.
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| defense wounds | Wounds suffered by victims while attempting to protect themselves from an assault; often inflicted by a knife or club.
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| delay-in-arraignment rule | Based on a 1943 Supreme Court decision, the principle that the failure to take a prisoner before a committing magistrate without unnecessary delay will render his or her confession inadmissible even if it was freely obtained.
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| dental identification | The identification of an individual on the basis of dental records (or, sometimes, "smiling" photographs); performed by a forensic dentist, who compares before-death records with after-death findings to see if there is a match.
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| dental stone | The preferred material for casting tire, footwear, and foot impressions; stronger and faster setting than plaster of paris and provides more detailed impressions.
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| deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) | A nucleic acid consisting of the molecules that carry the body's genetic material and establish each person as separate and distinct.
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| depressants or sedatives | Drugs that depress the central nervous system, reducing tension and inducing sleep; can cause, in chronic use, loss of balance, faulty judgment, quick temper, and in overdose, unconsciousness and death.
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| detention | A temporary and limited interference with a person's freedom for investigative purposes. Also called investigative detention, street stop, and field interrogation.
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| DFO (diazafluren-9-one) | A very effective chemical for developing latent prints on paper; produces red prints that may be visible to the naked eye and that fluoresce under most laser and alternative lighting.
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| digital forensic analysis | The process of acquiring, preserving, analyzing, and presenting evidentiary electronic data relevant to an investigation or prosecution.
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| direct examination | In a trial, the questioning of a witness by the party that calls the witness to testify.
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| disposition (of incident report) | After approval of an incident report, the determination of how the case will be handled (i.e., unfounded, inactivated, retained for investigation by officers, referred to plainclothes investigators); usually made by the supervisor of the officer who wrote the report.
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| document | Anything on which a mark is made for the purpose of transmitting a message.
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| documented vessel | A boat that is registered by the U.S. Coast Guard.
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| domestic terrorism | The use or threatened use of violence against persons or property by a group (or an individual) whose operations are entirely within the victims' nation, without foreign direction, and are done to further political or social objectives.
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| Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) | Created in 1973, this federal agency is responsible for enforcing laws on illicit drugs and fighting international drug traffic; also trains state and local police in investigative work regarding illegal drugs, surveillance, and use of informants.
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| due process | Fairness.
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| due process clause | The title of clauses appearing in both the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments to the Constitution of the United States.
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| dumpster diving | Going through people's trash for the purpose of finding sufficient sensitive information to commit identity theft.
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| EDTA | A preservative used to prevent coagulation.
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| effective fire temperatures | In structural fires, identifiable temperatures which reflect physical effects that can be defined by specific temperature ranges.
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| embezzlement | The misappropriation or misapplication of money or property entrusted to one's care, custody, or control.
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| emotional approach | An interrogation technique in which the interrogator appeals to the suspect's sense of honor, morals, family pride, religion, and so on; works better with women and first-time offenders.
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| encryption | A means of data security in which the data are scrambled into nonsense for storage or transmission and then unscrambled, as needed, by legitimate users.
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| Enderby cases | Two rape-murder cases in England that involved the first use of DNA typing, in 1987, in a criminal case. DNA samples recovered from both victims led to the release of an innocent man and the subsequent arrest and conviction of the killer.
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| estate locators and research specialists | These cons approach people by mail, purporting to be looking for heirs to a substantial fortune. In order to determine their eligibility, victims are asked to pay an "estate assessment fee" up-front, another variation on an advanced-fee scheme. This scam may also be operated as part of an identity theft operation.
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| evidence | Anything that tends logically to prove or disprove a fact at issue in a judicial case or controversy.
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| evidence recovery log | A chronological record of each item of evidence, listing who collected it, where and when it was collected, who witnessed the collection, and whether it was documented by photos or diagrams.
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| evidential intelligence | Factual, precise information that can be presented in court.
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| evidentiary privileges | Certain matters of communication that defendants and other witnesses can rightfully have barred from disclosure in court; classified as professional, political, social, and judicial.
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| exceptionally cleared | The classification assigned to an offense when a factor external to the investigation results in no charge being filed against a known suspect (e.g., the death of the suspect).
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| exchangeable traces | Particulates, lubricants, and spermicide added to condoms by manufacturers; can help identify particular brands and indicate condom use.
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| excusable homicide | The killing of a person in which the slayer is to some degree at fault but the degree of fault is not enough to constitute a criminal homicide.
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| exigent circumstances | An exception to the requirement that law enforcement officers have a search warrant; occurs when there is a compelling need for official action and there is no time to get a warrant.
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| expert witness | A person who is called to testify in court because of his or her special skills or knowledge; permitted to interpret facts and give opinions about their significance to facilitate jurors' understanding of complex or technical matters.
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| exploits | Software programs written to take advantage of security holes or "back doors" and thereby provide the user with illegal access to computer files.
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| explosion | A physical reaction characterized by the presence of high-pressure gas, confinement of the pressure, rapid release of the pressure, and change or damage to the confining structure, container, or vessel as a result of the pressure release.
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| eyewitness identification | The identification of someone or something involved in a crime by a witness who perceives the person or thing through one or more senses.
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| facial identification systems | Manual kits or computer programs for preparing a likeness of a suspect; creates a composite from individual facial features.
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| facial recognition software | Any of various computer programs that compare video images of persons' faces (taken by cameras at arenas, airports, hotels, and so on) with mug shots of known offenders for the purpose of identifying and apprehending wanted persons.
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| false-theft scheme | An insurance fraud in which the owner of a vehicle reports it stolen but has actually hidden or disposed of it.
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| false-vehicle scheme | An insurance fraud in which a person insures a vehicle that: does not exist; has already been -salvaged; or belongs to someone else and later reports the vehicle stolen.
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| farm equipment | Motorized equipment used on farms and on lawns; usually does not require a title or registration. Also called off-road equipment.
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| FBI Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Center (CASMIRC) | Provides investigative support through coordination and providing federal resources, training and application of multidisciplinary expertise, and to assist federal, state, and local authorities in matters involving child abductions, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicide, and serial murders across the country.
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| FBI Crime Laboratory | A comprehensive forensic laboratory that conducts a broad range of scientific analyses of evidence and provides experts to testify in relation to analysis results; offers its services without charge to state and local law enforcement agencies.
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| federal safety certification label | The sticker certifying a vehicle's safety, including its VIN; usually located on the driver's door or doorpost.
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| felonious assaults | An assault committed for the purpose of inflicting severe bodily harm or death; usually involves use of a deadly weapon.
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| felonious homicides | Killings that are treated and punished as crimes; includes murder and manslaughter.
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| felony | A serious violation of the criminal code; punishable by imprisonment for one or more years or by death.
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| fences/receivers | Individuals & businesses which knowingly buy, sell, or dispose of stolen merchandise, vehicles, financial instruments, and other things of value.
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| field interview/information report | A form on which a patrolling officer notes details about a person or vehicle that seems suspicious but is not connected with any particular offense.
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| field notes | The shorthand written record made by a police officer from the time he or she arrives at a crime scene until the assignment is completed.
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| Fielding, Henry | Chief Magistrate of Bow Street in London beginning in 1748. In 1750, he formed a group of volunteer, non-uniformed homeowners, who hurried to the scene of crimes to investigate them. These "Bow Street Runners" were the first modern detective unit. In 1752, he created The Covent Garden Journal, which circulated the descriptions of wanted persons.
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| Fielding, John | The brother of Henry Fielding. Following Henry's death in 1754, John carried on his work for 25 years, making Bow Street a clearing house for crime information.
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| Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen) | Part of the Department of the Treasury, an agency responsible for investigating major financial crimes (e.g., money laundering); provides assistance to law enforcement agencies.
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| fingerprint classification | A system used to categorize fingerprints on the basis of their ridge characteristics.
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| fingerprint patterns | Patterns formed by the ridge detail of fingerprints; primarily loops, whorls, and arches.
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| fingerprints | Replicas of the friction ridges (on palms, fingers, toes, and soles of the feet) that touched the surfaces on which the prints are found.
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| flame ionization detector | A device that produces ionized molecules in proportion to the amount of combustible organic gases in a sample; used to detect residues of accelerants at fire scenes.
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| fluorescent powders | Powders, dusted on areas being examined, that chemically enhance latent prints viewed under UV, laser, or alternative light illumination.
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| follow-up investigation | The process of gathering information after the generation of the incident report and until the case is ready for prosecution; undertaken for cases receiving a supervisory disposition for further investigation.
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| footwear impressions | Impressions that result when footwear, feet, or tires tread on a moldable surface such as earth, clay, or snow.
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| footwear prints | Prints that result when footwear, feet, or tires contaminated with foreign matter such as mud, grease, or blood are placed on a smooth, firm surface (e.g., a floor, a chair, paper). Also called residue prints.
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| forensic entomology | The study of insects associated with a dead body in order to determine the elapsed time since death.
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| forensic odontology | A specialty that relates dental evidence to investigation.
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| forensic pathology | The study, by physicians, of how and why people die; can also include examination of the living to determine physical or sexual abuse.
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| forensic photograph analysis | The comparison of photos from a security surveillance camera with file pictures of suspects to identify a perpetrator or acquire information about him or her.
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| forensic science | The examination, evaluation, and explanation of physical evidence in terms of law.
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| fracture match | The alignment of the edges of two items of evidence, thereby showing that both items were previously joined together.
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| franchise fraud | Scam in which people are conned into believing they are purchasing a legitimate franchise, such as a copy shop, convenience store, fast food restaurant, or other -business.
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| free inspection fraud | Most often, this type of fraud is associated with home repair or improvement scams, although it is also operated using automobiles. A person appears at your home promising a free inspection of your heating and cooling system, gutters, chimney, roof shingles, or your entire home. Serious defects are found and scare tactics are used to maneuver victims into correcting the situation "right away." Any actual damage is caused by the inspector, who may ask for an advance fee to buy materials or who offers a great deal because they have "just finished a job nearby and have some materials left over." Any work actually done is shoddy, uses inferior materials, and does not meet local building codes.
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| free-and-voluntary rule | Based on a number of Supreme Court decisions since 1936, the principle that the exertion of any kind of coercion, physical or psychological, on a suspect to obtain a confession will render the confession inadmissible.
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| freehand forgery | Written in the forger's normal handwriting, with no attempt to mimic the style of the genuine signature.
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| freezer crimes | Thefts of livestock (usually only one or a few animals) in which the motivation is food rather than profit.
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| Frye v. United States | A 1923 federal case which established that the results of a scientific technique would be admissible only if the technique had gained general acceptance in its field. (Per Daubert, this was superceded by the federal rules of evidence.)
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| Galton, Francis | Galton published, in 1892, the first definitive book on dactylography, Finger Prints, which presented statistical proof of their uniqueness and many principles of identification by fingerprints. Charles Darwin's cousin.
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| gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) | A central nervous system depressant used to perpetrate sexual attacks; mixed into a victim's food or drink, can induce relaxation or unconsciousness, leaving the victim unaware of the attack; can also cause seizures or death.
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| gas liquid chromatograph (GLC) | A portable device that separates a sample gas into measurable components; used to detect residues of accelerants at fire scenes.
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| geographic profiling | An investigative strategy in which the locations of a series of crimes (or, sometimes, the scenes of a single crime) are used to determine the most probable area of the offender's residence.
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| Girard, Stephen | Bequeathed $33,190 to Philadelphia to develop a competent police force. In 1833, the city passed an ordinance creating America's first paid daytime police department.
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| Goddard, Calvin | A U.S. World War I veteran and physician, he is widely considered to be most responsible for raising -firearms identification to a science and for perfecting the bullet-comparison microscope.
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| Goddard, Henry | One of the last Bow Street Runners, who in 1835 made the first successful identification of a murderer by studying a bullet recovered from a murder victim. In the case, a bullet mold with a noticeable defect was found at the suspect's home; this defect corresponded to a defect found on the recovered bullet.
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| gray-market vehicles | Vehicles purchased abroad and shipped to the United States; may require modifications to meet U.S. emission control and safety standards.
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| grooves | In a firearm's rifled bore, the low cuts that separate the higher lands.
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| Gross, Hans | Austrian prosecutor who wrote the first major book on the application of science to investigation in 1893.
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| group cause homicide | Involves two or more people with a common ideology, who sanction an act committed by one or more of the group's members that results in another person's death.
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| hacker's dictionary | A software program that provides unauthorized access to computer systems by generating millions of alphanumeric combinations until it finds one that matches a password.
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| hacking or cracking | The process of gaining unauthorized entry into a computer system.
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| hallucinogenic drugs | Natural or synthetic drugs that distort perception of objective reality and, in large doses, cause hallucinations; can lead to unpredictable effects based on user and environment.
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| hard and soft insurance frauds | Hard fraud is when a person fakes an injury, loss, accident, theft, arson, or other loss to illegally collect from an insurance company. Soft frauds are when people tell "little white lies" to increase the amount of an actual loss for which they will be compensated by their insurer.
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| hashish | A natural hallucinogen, derived from resinous secretions of the cannabis plant, that is more potent than marijuana; sold in soft lumps and usually smoked in a small hash pipe.
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| hashish oil | An extremely potent hallucinogen, derived by distilling THC from marijuana, that produces a high from a single drop; smoked in a cigarette or glass-bowled pipe, or ingested in food or wine.
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| hazardous wastes | Solid, liquid, sludge, and manufacturing by-product wastes that are ignitable, corrosive, reactive, and/or toxic; may pose a serious threat to human health and the environment if improperly managed.
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| hearsay | Testimony by a witness that repeats something which he or she heard someone say out of court and which the witness has no personal factual knowledge of; inadmissible in court.
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| heavy equipment | Heavy construction equipment; usually does not require a title or registration. Also called off-road equipment.
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| Hemident | A reagent used in preliminary or presumptive field tests to check for the presence of blood.
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| Henry system | Devised by Edward Henry, the fingerprint classification system that facilitated the use of fingerprints in criminal identification; adopted in England in 1900 and today used in almost every country.
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| hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) | Viruses present in blood (and, for HBV, other bodily fluids) that attack the liver and can lead to death; a health hazard at scenes where bodily fluids are exposed.
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| heroin (diacetylmorphine) | An opiate that is much stronger than morphine and often causes death due to its purity or diluents; an odorless, crystalline white powder, which is usually sold diluted and is injected.
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| home-invasion robbery (HIR) | A crime in which one or more offenders deliberately enter a home to commit robbery; characterized by gangs who target individuals rather than residences and use violence to terrify and control their victims.
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| homicide | The killing of a human being by another human being; can be felonious or nonfelonious.
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| hot spots | A location where various crimes are committed on a regular basis, usually by different offenders. Also called a hot dot.
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| hull identification number (HIN) | Identification number assigned to boats.
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| human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) | The blood-borne pathogen, also present in other bodily fluids, that can progress into AIDS, which reduces the body's defenses against diseases and leaves victims vulnerable to infections from which they die; a health hazard at scenes where bodily fluids are exposed.
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| hypercompliance | In hypnosis, the situation in which the desire to please the hypnotist or others leads the subject to provide information that does not reflect his or her actual memories.
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| hypersuggestibility | In hypnosis, the subject's heightened degree of suggestibility, which creates the possibility of the hypnotist's influencing the subject, intentionally or inadvertently, to give false information.
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| hypnosis | A state of heightened awareness in which subconscious memories may surface that can be of help to an investigation.
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| identity theft | The assumption of another person's identity for use in fraudulent transactions that result in a loss to the victim; accomplished by acquiring personal information about the victim (e.g., date of birth, address, credit card numbers).
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| immersion burns | Burns on the skin that occur when part or all of the body falls into, or is placed into, a tub or other container of hot liquid.
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| impeachment | In a trial, the process of discrediting or contradicting the testimony of a witness to show that he or she is unworthy of belief.
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| incendiary mechanism | A fire-starting mechanism that consists of an ignition device, possibly a timing device, one or more plants to accelerate the flame, and, often, trailers to spread the fire; can be mechanical or chemical.
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| incest | Broadly, any sexual abuse of a minor by an adult who is perceived by the minor to be a family member; also, under some statutes, sexual activity between closely related adults.
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| incident report | The first written investigative record of a crime, usually compiled by the uniformed officer assigned to the call, who conducts the preliminary investigation.
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| incised and stab wounds | Wounds inflicted with a sharpedged instrument such as a knife or razor; typically narrow at the ends and gaping at the center, with considerable bleeding. Also called cutting wounds.
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| in-custody interrogation | The legal condition under which the Miranda warnings are required, although case decisions vary on the definitions of "custody" and "interrogation."
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| indicative intelligence | Information pertaining to emerging and new criminal developments; may include fragmentary or unsubstantiated information, as well as hard facts.
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| individual characteristics | Characteristics of physical evidence that can be identified as coming from a particular person or source.
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| inductive reasoning | The thought process that moves from specific details to a general view; e.g., the facts of a case are used to arrive at a logical explanation of the crime.
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| infant abduction | The taking of a child less than one year of age by a nonfamily member; classified by the FBI as kidnapping, although the motive is usually to possess the child rather than to use the child as a means for something else (e.g., money, sex, revenge).
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| inflated-theft-loss scheme | An insurance fraud in which the owner of a stolen vehicle reports a greater financial loss—based on alleged current value, damage, or stolen parts—than is the case.
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| infrared spectrophotometer | A device that identifies samples by recording the amount of infrared light that passes through them; used to detect residues of flammable-liquid accelerants at fire scenes.
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| Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) | Maintained by the FBI, a national online fingerprint and criminal-history database with identification and response capabilities; may be accessed by local law enforcement agencies.
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| intelligence/analytical cycle | A five-part process designed to produce usable information for the client.
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| international terrorism | The use or threatened use of violence against persons or property by a group (or an individual) whose operations transcend national boundaries and are done to further political or social objectives.
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| interrogation | A conversation between an investigator and a suspect that is designed to match acquired information to the suspect and secure a confession.
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| interrogatory questions | Who? What? Where? When? How? And Why?
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| interviewing | The process of obtaining information from people who have knowledge that might be helpful in a criminal investigation.
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| investigative psychology | A criminal-profiling approach based on interpersonal coherence, significance of time and place, -criminal characteristics, and the offender's criminal career and forensic awareness.
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| investigator | An official who gathers, documents, and evaluates evidence and information in the investigation of a crime.
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| iodine | A dye used in developing latent prints on porous (particularly paper) and nonporous surfaces; one of the oldest and most proven means of locating prints.
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| Jacob Wetterling Crimes against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act | A 1994 federal act requiring that states create and maintain registries of sex offenders. See also Megan's law.
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| jail booking report | A document containing complete personal information about a suspect, including a photograph, fingerprints, and a list of the suspect's personal property at the time of booking.
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| joyriding | The theft and use of a motor vehicle solely to drive it, after which it is abandoned; usually committed by teenagers.
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| judicial notice | An evidentiary shortcut whereby the necessity of formally proving the truth of a particular matter is eliminated when that truth is not in dispute.
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| justifiable homicide | The necessary killing of a person in the performance of a legal duty or the exercise of a legal right when the slayer is not at fault.
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| ketamine | A synthetic hallucinogen that produces hallucinations, excitement, and delirium of less intensity and shorter duration than the effects of PCP and LSD; sold as liquids, tablets, or white powder, and injected, smoked, or ingested in a drink.
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| kinesics | The relationship between body language (limb movements, facial expressions, and so on) and the communication of feelings and attitudes.
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| Kirk, Paul | A biochemist, educator, and criminalist; wrote Criminal Investigation in 1953; helped to develop the careers of many criminalists.
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| known samples | (1) Standard or reference samples from known or verifiable sources; (2) control or blank samples from known sources believed to be uncontaminated by the crime; (3) elimination samples from sources who had lawful access to the crime scene.
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| lacerations | Wounds inflicted by blunt objects such as clubs, pipes, and pistols; typically open and irregularly shaped, bruised around the edges, and bleeding freely.
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| lands | The high sides in a firearm's rifled bore.
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| laser illumination | A method of developing latent prints in which lasers are used to illuminate a crime scene, causing otherwise-undetectable fingerprints to fluoresce when viewed through a special lens.
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| latent/invisible prints | Fingerprints created when friction ridges deposit body perspiration and oil on surfaces they touch; typically invisible to the naked eye.
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| Lattes, Leone | Made a key discovery in forensic serology in 1915, which permits blood typing from a dried blood stain.
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| Law Enforcement Online (LEO) | Maintained by the FBI, an intranet system through which enforcement officers can communicate, obtain critical information, and participate in educational programs and focused dialogs.
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| layer-checking technique | In arson investigation, the process of examining the strata of debris, working through to the floor; may indicate the sequence of burning.
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| left-wing terrorists | Terrorists who usually profess a revolutionary socialist doctrine and view themselves as protecting the people against capitalism and imperialism.
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| LEO | See Law Enforcement Online.
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| letter of transmittal | In the context of criminal investigation, it is the letter which accompanies physical evidence to the crime laboratory; its elements include the identity and locator information of the submitting individual, the case facts, examinations requested, and other related information.
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| lifted-prints log | A written record of lifted-prints evidence that contains the same type of information as that listed in the evidence recovery log.
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| lifters | Various materials and devices used to "lift" evidence, especially fingerprints and footwear prints, from a surface and preserve it; include flap, electrostatic, rubber-gelatin, and clear-tape lifters.
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| ligature strangulation | Pressure on the neck applied by a constricting band that is tightened by a force other than body weight; causes death by occluding the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the brain.
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| lineup | A procedure in which a number of similar-looking persons, including the suspect, are shown simultaneously or sequentially to a witness who may be able to identify one of them as the perpetrator; can also be conducted with photos.
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| link analysis | he process of charting or depicting temporal and other data gathered during a criminal investigation to uncover and help interpret relationships and patterns in the data.
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| livestock | Farm and ranch animals raised for profit.
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| livor mortis | Soon after death, a purplish color that appears under the skin on the portions of the body that are closest to the ground; caused by settling of the blood.
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| Locard, Edmond | Researcher interested in microscopic evidence; all crime sense today comes under the presumption of Locard's Principle—that there is something to be found.
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| logic bomb | A computer program that uses illegitimate instructions or misuses legitimate instructions to damage data structures; operates at a specific time, periodically, or according to other instructions.
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| loiding | The act of slipping or shimming, by means of a celluloid strip or credit card, a spring-bolt lock that does not have an antishim device.
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| lookout | Accomplices of a robber who watch for police and may provide armed backup for the offender.
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| lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) | A semisynthetic hallucinogen that produces mental changes lasting up to 12 hours; taken as drops on a sugar lump or blotted paper, was popular in the 1960s and is now making a comeback among juveniles.
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| macroscopic scene | The "large view" of a crime scene, including things such as locations, the victim's body, cars, and -buildings.
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| manslaughter | A criminal homicide that is committed under circumstances not severe enough to constitute murder but that cannot be classified as justifiable or excusable.
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| marijuana | A natural hallucinogen, derived from certain hemp plants, that produces a dreamy, carefree state and an alteration of sensory perceptions; in the form of crushed dried leaves and flowers, it is smoked or eaten in food.
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| marine theft | The theft of boats, boat trailers, outboard motors, jet skis, and all equipment associated with boating or water activities.
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| mechanical explosions | Explosions in which a high-pressure gas is produced by purely physical reactions; commonly caused by steam (e.g., the bursting of a steam boiler).
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| media statement | Information released to the news media; must not prejudice the suspect's right to a fair and impartial trial.
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| Megan's law | An amendment to the Jacob Wetterling act, legislation requiring that states disclose information about registered sex offenders to the public.
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| meperidine (Demerol) | A synthetic narcotic that in illicit use is usually injected but can be taken orally; the first synthetic opiate.
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| mescaline | A natural hallucinogen, derived from the peyote cactus, that produces hallucinations for up to 12 hours; ground into a powder and taken orally.
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| meth labs | Illegal laboratories that manufacture methamphetamine; range from industrial-size organizations to oneperson tweeker labs, with prevalence skyrocketing due to the availability of "recipes" and chemicals via the Internet.
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| methadone | A synthetic narcotic used to maintain a heroin addict at a stable level of opiate use during and after withdrawal from heroin; administered orally, thus reducing dangers from injection.
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| methaqualone | A strong depressant that can cause poisoning and convulsive comas; removed from the legal U.S. market; street versions are usually counterfeit.
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| methcathinone | A psychomotor stimulant chemically similar to methamphetamine but more potent, often producing extreme paranoia; usually a white or off-white powder that is sold pure and snorted. Also called cat and goob.
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| methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) or ecstasy | A hallucinogen that produces reduced inhibitions, euphoria, light hallucinations and can result in paranoia and psychosis; sold as a white powder, with usage increasing alarmingly.
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| Metropolitan Police Act (1829) | An act of Parliament that created the London Metropolitan Police, the first centralized, professional police force in Britain, which soon became the international model of professional policing.
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| microscopic scene | A crime scene viewed in terms of specific objects and pieces of evidence associated with the crime, such as knives, guns, hairs, fibers, and biological fluids.
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| minutiae | The characteristics of friction ridges on palms, fingers, toes, and soles of the feet.
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| Miranda v. Arizona | The 1966 case in which the Supreme Court established that law enforcement officers must advise a person of his or her constitutional rights before beginning an in-custody interrogation.
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| mirror | To match a person's words, actions, and mannerisms in order to eliminate communication barriers, foster trust, and create the flow of desired information.
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| misdemeanor | A violation of the criminal code that is less serious than a felony; often punishable by imprisonment for no more than one year and/or a fine of no more than $500.
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| missing person frauds | A particularly cruel type of advanced fee scam. Cons gather information on missing persons and then contact relatives explaining how they might be able to find the person for an up-front fee.
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| mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) | DNA found in the mitochondria of a cell; inherited only from the mother, it thus serves as an identity marker for maternal relatives.
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| mobile data terminal (MDT) | An electronic system in a police car that provides features such as secure communication with 911, and among police units, direct access to national and local databases, and computer functions (e.g., e-mail, Internet access, computing, word processing).
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| money laundering | The process of making illegally obtained money seem legitimate by filtering it through a business and falsifying the business's accounts and invoices.
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| morgue | A crime lab that determines cause of death; when the cause is questionable or is other than a known disease, conducts analyses that produce investigative information.
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| morphine | An opiate in tablet, capsule, and liquid form (but usually injected) that produces euphoria, drowsiness, and relaxation; provides the medical standards by which other narcotics are evaluated.
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| Motor Vehicle Theft Law Enforcement Act (1984) | Federal legislation requiring that manufacturers place permanent identification numbers on major parts of certain car lines.
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| mugging | See strong-armed robbery.
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| Mulberry Street Morning Parade | Instituted by Chief Detective Thomas Byrnes in New York City in the late 1800s, an innovative approach to criminal identification in which all new arrestees were marched each morning before detectives so that the detectives could make notes and later recognize the criminals.
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| Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) | A psychological disorder in which a parent or caretaker attempts to elicit medical attention for himself or herself by injuring or inducing illness in a child.
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| narrative style | In incident reports, the officer's written chronological account of events at the crime scene from the time he or she arrived until the assignment was completed.
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| National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) | Operated by the FBI, an organization that provides investigative and operational assistance to agencies dealing with violent crimes; consists of the BEA, CASMIRC, and VICAP.
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| National Crime Information Center (NCIC) | The FBI's online system of extensive databases on criminals and crime; available to federal, state, and local agencies.
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| National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) | An FBI program for crime reporting that features a detailed report format documenting far more data than does a basic incident report; involves voluntary participation, but made mandatory by some states.
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| National Institute-Based Reporting System | The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting System (UCR) began in 1929 and its focus is on reporting the types and numbers of crimes.
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| National Integrated Ballistic Information Network Program (NIBIN) | A joint program of the ATF and the FBI, a computerized database of crime gun information that stores images of ballistic evidence (projectiles and casings), against which new images are compared for identification.
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| National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) | Under development; a computerized database that will include complete histories of vehicles in all states and will prevent title laundering between states.
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| NCAVC | See National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime.
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| NCIC | See National Crime Information Center.
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| neighborhood canvas | A systematic approach to interviewing residents, merchants, and others who were in the immediate vicinity of a crime and may have useful information.
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| neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) | An approach used in interviewing and interrogating that emphasizes establishing rapport, through mirroring, as a means of improving communication and thus obtaining useful information.
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| NIBRS | See National Institute-Based Reporting System.
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| ninhydrin | A chemical used in developing latent prints on paper and cardboard; produces purplish prints, making it unsuitable for use with money.
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| NMVTIS | See National Motor Vehicle Title Information System.
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| nuclear DNA | DNA found in the nucleus of a cell; inherited from both the mother and the father.
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| oath | A formal attestation in which a witness swears to tell the truth on the basis of his or her belief in a supreme being and acknowledges a realization of the penalties for perjury; a means of establishing a witness's competence.
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| odometer fraud | The crime of rolling back a vehicle's odometer so that it shows a lower mileage than is the case, and obtaining or altering paperwork to support the fraud. Also called odometer tampering, rollback, and clocking.
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| off-road equipment | Heavy construction equipment and farm equipment.
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| off-shore accounts | Accounts in so-called safe-haven foreign banks, often operated by small island-nations which promise untraceable financial services.
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| one-year callable certificates of deposit | Unscrupulous sellers tout these certificates of deposit (CDs) (which trumpet high rates of interest), but mislead or do not explain to investors about the actual terms of the investment.
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| opiates | Drugs derived from the opium poppy (e.g., opium, morphine, heroin, codeine).
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| opium | An opiate in the form of blackish-brown, -pungentsmelling beads of dried fluid, which are smoked; produces drowsiness and relaxation and is the source of morphine, heroin, and codeine.
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| organized/disorganized offender patterns | A criminal profiling approach in which offenders are categorized as organized or disorganized on the basis of personal and crime scene characteristics. Mixed organized-disorganized crimes reflect aspects of both patterns.
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| Osborn, Albert | In 1910, wrote Questioned Documents, still -considered one of the definitive works on document examinations.
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| OxyContin | A powerful narcotic consisting of oxycodone, a morphinelike drug, in a time-release formulation that, when crushed and snorted or injected, produces an intense heroin-like high; the latest drug of choice among addicts and teenage abusers.
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| packet sniffers | Computer programs designed to monitor network communications and selectively record sensitive information (e.g., passwords, credit card numbers); used by hackers and, with a court order, by the FBI.
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| palo verde seedpod case | A 1992 murder case in Phoenix, Arizona in which DNA analysis of plant evidence was used for the first time in criminal proceedings to help secure a conviction.
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| "paper vehicle" | A vehicle that does not exist but is insured on the basis of a counterfeit title or manufacturer's certificate of origin so that it can later be reported stolen.
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| paralanguage | Characteristics of speech—such as volume, pitch, tone, and tempo—that communicate, often unconsciously, meanings and attitudes of the speaker that may not be evident in the words themselves.
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| parts marking | The process, mandated by law, of attaching VIN labels to the major parts of vehicles in high-theft lines.
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| passive system (theft deterrent) | A type of vehicle antitheft device which activates automatically but may require that the driver do something to deactivate the system.
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| Peel, Robert | See bobbies.
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| peremptory challenge | The limited number of race and gender-neutral challenges each side has in a criminal case to excuse a juror for any other reason.
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| personal cause homicide | Homicide motivated by a personal cause, which ensues from interpersonal aggression. The slayer and the victim(s) may not be known to each other.
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| personal protection equipment (PPE) | Equipment and clothing designed to protect individuals at high-risk crime scenes from injury and infection.
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| phencyclidine (PCP) | A hallucinogen in powder (angel dust), tablet, liquid, leafy mixture, and rock-crystal forms that produces unpleasant effects and can cause extreme violence and strength; as a street drug, often adulterated and misrepresented, yet usage is increasing notably.
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| phishing | E-mails or letters soliciting personal and account information with which the collector can commit identity fraud or sell the information to someone who will commit that crime.
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| photographic log | A written record listing the photographs taken at a crime scene and detailing who took them, where and when they were taken, and under what conditions.
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| photographing | The primary means of documenting a crime scene.
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| phreakers | People who misuse telephone systems through a variety of fraudulent methods that make it seem as if long-distance service and airtime are being legitimately purchased.
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| physical stereotyping | Occurs when an officer expects that the robber will fit a preconceived description; can result in the escape of a suspect or harm to the officer.
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| pigeon drop con | Another old, but effective scam in which one con strikes up a conversation with someone on the street. Another con approaches them with a bag of money, which is from some illicit source, which he/she just found. After talking about what they could do with the money, one of the cons calls his/her boss, an "attorney" who meets them. The attorney says they will be able to keep the money after they do a reasonable search for the owner, but that "good faith money" must be put up. After the mark puts up his/her money, the cons disappear with it.
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| PIN | See product information number.
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| Pinkerton, Allan | Formed the Pinkertons in 1850 along with Edward Rucker; the only consistently competent detectives in the United States for over 50 years.
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| placement, layering, and integration | The three main phases of laundering money from illicit sources so it can take on the appearance of legitimate income.
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| plaintiff | In a civil case, the party that was allegedly wronged and that files the lawsuit.
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| planned operation | A robbery that involves careful planning and no planned use of force; has less likelihood of apprehension and generates a large score.
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| plant | In arson, the material placed around the ignition device to feed the flame.
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| plastic prints | Prints created when fingers touch moldable material, such as newly painted surfaces, the gum on stamps, putty, and the sticky side of adhesive tape.
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| poaching | The illegal taking or possessing of game, fish, and other wildlife.
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| "police spies" | In early nineteenth-century England, a derogatory term used in reference to plainclothes detectives; coined by persons who feared that the use of such officers would reduce civil liberties.
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| polygraph | A mechanical device that records physiological changes that occur in a person while he or she is being questioned, with deviations from normal readings indicating deception; can be used only with subject's voluntary consent. Also called a lie detector.
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| Ponzi/pyramid fraud | Basically this involves recruiting people who are promised great returns on their money. The early investors are paid with the money from later investors. The scheme always collapses because the recruitment of investors cannot be sustained and the cons will ultimately steal the funds for their personal use.
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| Popay, Sergeant | Dismissed from London's Metropolitan Police in 1833 for infiltrating a radical group and advocating the use of violence after he acquired a leadership position. Today, we would call Popay's call for violence entrapment.
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| positive match | In DNA analysis, an identical match of a suspect's DNA with that found on evidence at the crime scene.
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| power-assertive rape-murder | A series of acts in which the rape is planned but the murder is an unplanned response of increasing aggression to ensure control of the victim. The acts within the rape assault are characterized by forceful aggression and intimidation.
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| power-reassurance rape | A planned single rape attack followed by an unplanned overkill of the victim. Motivated by an idealized seduction and consequent fantasy, the killer focuses on acting out a fantasy and seeks verbal reassurance of his sexual adequacy.
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| preferential child molester | A person who molests children because he or she has a definite sexual preference for children.
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| preliminary investigation | The process undertaken by the first officer (usually a patrol officer) to arrive at the scene of a crime; includes assessment, emergency care, scene control, a BOLO, scene determination, incident report, and sometimes, evidence procedures.
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| preponderance of evidence | The burden of proof in civil cases; requires only that the evidence presented by one side be seen by the jury as more believable than the evidence presented by the opposing side.
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| primary scene | The location at which the initial offense was -committed.
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| probable cause | A condition in which an officer has suspicion about an individual and knowledge of facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe that a crime has been, is being, or is about to be, committed.
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| procedural criminal law | That branch of criminal law that defines what can and cannot be done with, or to, people.
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| product identification number (PIN) | PIN stands for product identification number.
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| professional theft (of vehicle) | The theft of a vehicle to fill a specific order or to resell the parts.
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| promissory notes | Essentially short term I.O.U.s which promise to pay its holder, the investor, the fixed amount invested, plus a fixed interest at some future specified date. While these may be operated legally, many such investments are simply frauds and the money disappears.
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| proof | The combination of all the evidence in determining the guilt or innocence of a person accused of a crime.
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| Property Insurance Loss Register (PILR) | An insurance industry database that lists the insureds in burglary and theft claims and everyone with an insurable interest in fire claims; detects repeated patterns of claim activity.
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| proximity | The amount of space between the participants in a conversation—neither too close, which causes discomfort, nor too far apart, which causes a loss of connectivity.
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| psilocybin and psilocin | Natural hallucinogens, derived from certain mushrooms, that produce hallucinations for about 6 hours; taken orally.
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| psychological autopsy | An analysis of a decedent's thoughts, feelings, and behavior, conducted through interviews with persons who knew him or her, to determine whether a death was an accident or suicide.
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| pump and dump | A scheme where glowing, but false, information about a stock is widely distributed, often through the -Internet, and the rapid buying of it "pumps" the price of the stock up. Once pumped, the fraudsters "dump" the stock for a quick profit.
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| puncture wounds | Wounds inflicted with piercing instruments such as leather punches, screwdrivers, and ice picks; typically small, with little or no bleeding.
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| pyromaniacs | Arsonists who lack conscious motivation for their fire setting.
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| quick strip (of vehicle) | The process of removing from a stolen vehicle valuable parts (e.g., seats, stereos, tires) that have no identifying numbers and thus can be easily sold.
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| radial fracture lines | Lines that move away from the point of impact in a glass window.
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| rape or sexual battery | The crime of having sexual relations with a person against her or his will; with a person who is unconscious or under the influence of alcohol; or with someone who is insane, feeble-minded, or under the age of consent.
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| rape-murder | Murder that results from or is an integral part of the rape of the victim; either an unplanned response (of increasing aggression or panic over sense of failure) or a planned act (of revenge or sadism).
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| rapid response deployment or quick action deployment (QUAD) | An intervention approach in which patrol officers are trained in the principles and tactics of rapid deployment for critical incidents so that responding officers can take action immediately rather than wait for a SWAT team.
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| rapport | In interviews and interrogations, the harmonious relationship with the witness or suspect that must be established by the investigator to foster trust and meaningful communication.
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| rebuttal | In a trial, the optional process in which the prosecution, after the defense has closed its case, presents new evidence or calls or recalls a witness; it occurs at the discretion of the prosecution.
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| re-cross-examination | In a trial, the requestioning of a witness initially called by the opposing party.
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| redirect examination | In a trial, the requestioning of a witness by the party that called the witness.
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| reflected ultraviolet imaging system (RUVIS) | Lighting and imaging system in which ultraviolet light applied to undetected fingerprints is "bounced" back, highly intensifying the prints.
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| refurbishment fraud | A practice in which working components from damaged or returned items (e.g., a computer) are used in the construction of new items or are resold as new items.
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| revenge-motivated arson | Fires set in retaliation for some injustice, real or imagined, that is perceived by the offender.
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| rhodamine 6G | An excellent fluorescing chemical for enhancing developed latent prints and revealing others; used on metal, glass, plastic, wood, and other nonabsorbent surfaces.
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| rifling | The lands and grooves in the rifled bore of a firearm.
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| right-wing terrorists | Terrorists who usually espouse racial supremacy and antigovernment or antiregulatory beliefs; they often hold antiabortion and survivalist views and call for paramilitary training in "militias."
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| robbery | The crime of taking and carrying away the personal property of another by means of force, fear, or threat of force, with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of its use.
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| rogues' gallery | Instituted by the New York City Police Department in 1857, a display in which photographs of known offenders were arranged by criminal specialty and height for detectives to study so that they might recognize criminals on the street.
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| Rohypnol | A benzodiazapine used to perpetrate sexual attacks; mixed into a victim's food or drink, can induce sedation, memory impairment, or unconsciousness, leaving the victim unaware of the attack. Also called flunitrazepam.
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| root kits | Exploit packages that enable computer-system -intruders to maintain the highest level of access by installing back doors and secret accounts and altering logs and basic system services.
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| rough sketch | A drawing made at the crime scene; not drawn to scale, but indicates accurate dimensions and distances.
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| rules of evidence | Federal evidentiary rules which state that scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge is admissible if it will help the trier of fact understand the evidence or determine a fact at issue.
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| safes | Locked receptacles for protecting valuables; classified as fire-resistant safes (offering protection from fire but minimum security) or money chests (providing security and reasonably good protection from fire).
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| salami slice | A computerized-theft technique in which dollar amounts are automatically rounded down and the difference is diverted to the perpetrator's special account.
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| salvage switch | A method of disguising a stolen vehicle whereby the title and VIN plate of a salvage vehicle are transferred to an identical stolen vehicle, which can then be sold in the legitimate market.
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| salvage title | The title issued to an insurance company after it has paid a total-loss claim; remains with the vehicle until it is destroyed.
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| salvage vehicle | A vehicle that has been damaged to such an extent that the cost of repairing it is more than its fair market value.
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| scald burns | Burns on the skin caused by contact with hot liquids, either through spills/splashes or immersion; most common type of burn injury to children.
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| Scotland Yard | The original headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, so-called because the building formerly housed Scottish royalty. Since 1890, the headquarters have been located elsewhere, but have been still known as New Scotland Yard.
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| search | The process of looking for evidence of a crime.
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| search and seizure | The process of looking for evidence of a crime and taking that evidence into the custody of a law enforcement agency.
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| search warrant | Written authorization by a judge allowing law enforcement officers to look for specified items of evidence of a crime in a specified place.
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| secondary scenes | The locations of all events subsequent to, and connected with, the event at the primary scene.
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| selective raid | A robbery that involves a minimal amount of casual planning and may be repeated several times in rapid succession.
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| semen | A grayish-white fluid produced in the male reproductive organs and ejaculated during orgasm; has a chlorinelike odor and dries to a starchlike consistency.
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| series | A crime characteristic in which crimes of the same type are committed over a short period of time, usually by the same offender.
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| sex offenses | Crimes related to sexual activity; classified as serious (e.g., rape), nuisance (e.g., voyeurism, exhibitionism), and mutual consent (e.g., adultery, prostitution).
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| sexual homicide | In sexual homicide, a sexual element (activity) is the basis, or the sequence of, acts leading to the death.
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| shaken-baby syndrome (SBS) | Severe intracranial trauma caused by the deliberate application of violent force (shaking) to a child.
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| Shoeprint Image Capture and Retrieval System (SICAR) | Computer software that classifies, archives, and identifies shoeprints.
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| shopping cart fraud | A computer crime in which the offender selects purchases at an online store, saves a copy of the purchase page and lowers the prices, and then submits the altered page and continues the checkout process.
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| shoulder surfing | When identity thieves stay close enough to people using their credit cards, pins, telephone calling cards, and writing checks that they can gather sensitive identity information.
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| situational child molester | A person who molests children because the opportunity exists to do so or because of his or her inadequacy, regressed personality, or desire for experimentation; does not have a sexual preference for children.
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| situational stereotyping | Occurs when an officer's knowledge and experience with a location creates the expectation that the present situation will be the same as past situations; increases the officer's vulnerability.
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| sketching | The process of drawing a crime scene using rudimentary methods; sketches made can be "rough" or "smooth."
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| skimmers | Data collection devices through which credit cards are passed. When used illegally, they are employed to obtain the credit card numbers used by customers so credit card and/or identity theft can be committed.
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| small-particle reagent (SPR) | A chemical used in developing latent prints on objects that have been immersed in water, dew- or rain-soaked cars, surfaces covered with a residue such as ocean salt, waxed materials, plastics, tile, and glass.
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| smooth bore | A bore without rifling; characteristic of most shotguns.
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| smooth sketch | A finished sketch of the crime scene, often drawn to scale using information contained in the rough sketch.
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| smurfing | A method associated with money laundering. Multiple deposits of cash are made at different accounts in different banks or bank drafts are bought; the transactions are kept under $10,000 to avoid the bank rendering a required report of the transaction to federal authorities.
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| snow print wax | An aerosol wax sprayed on footwear impressions in snow to tint the highlights so that the impressions can be photographed before being cast.
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| solvability factors | Used to screen and evaluate the information in an offense/incident report to determine if there is sufficient information to warrant a follow-up investigation. Such factors include whether suspects are named, the existence of significant physical evidence, the use or display of deadly weapons, and similarities to recently reported crimes.
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| spalling | The breakdown in the surface tensile strength of concrete, masonry, or brick that occurs when exposure to high temperatures and rates of heating produces mechanical forces within the material.
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| speedballing | The simultaneous ingestion of heroin (a depressant) and cocaine (a stimulant); produces a euphoric rush followed by a drowsy or depressing effect. Can cause convulsions and death.
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| sperm | Tadpolelike organisms that are contained in, and travel through, semen to fertilize the female egg.
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| spill/splash injuries | Burns on the skin that occur when a hot liquid falls from a height and splashes onto the body.
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| spontaneous heating | An increase in temperature that results from a natural process; caused by chemical action, fermentation, or oxidation.
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| spontaneous ignition | The catching afire of materials subjected to spontaneous heating; usually requires several hours to several months of oxidation or fermentation.
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| sprees | A crime characteristic in which crimes of the same type are committed at almost the same time by the same offender.
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| STAR | See Stolen Auto Recovery System.
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| stimulants | Drugs that directly stimulate the central nervous system, producing excitation, alertness, wakefulness, and, sometimes, a temporary increase in blood pressure and respiration rate; in overdose, can cause hallucinations, convulsions, and death.
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| sting operations | In combating fences, this is a tactic in which undercover officers pose as fences in a "front" business to gain information. Such operations have proven to be an effective means of identifying criminals, penetrating criminal organizations, and recovering property.
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| Stolen Auto Recovery System (STAR) | A method of examining and photographing the contents of shipping containers, by means of gamma rays, while they are entering a port or being loaded onto a vessel; used to identify stolen vehicles being shipped abroad.
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| stop and frisk | A limited pat down of the outer clothing of a person encountered by a law enforcement officer when the person is acting suspiciously, and the officer, concerned about safety, seeks to determine if the person has a weapon.
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| strategic intelligence | Information gathered and analyzed over time that usually confirms new or recently discovered patterns of criminal activity.
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| striae | Tiny furrows made by the action of a tool on an object's surface (e.g., marks left on a door's hinge from an attempt to force the door open with a pry bar).
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| strong-armed robbery | A robbery in which the perpetrator attacks and beats the victim but no weapons are involved.
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| subpoena | A written order commanding a particular person to appear in court at a specified date and time to testify as a witness.
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| substantive criminal law | That branch of criminal law dealing with the elements that describe and define a crime.
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| sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) | The sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant, usually during sleep, the cause of which has yet to be determined.
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| superglue fuming | The process of heating cyanoacrylate in a high-humidity chamber so that the condensing of the resultant fumes develops any latent prints.
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| surrebuttal | In a trial, the process in which the defense, after a rebuttal by the prosecution, presents new evidence or calls or recalls a witness; permitted only if the prosecution conducts a rebuttal.
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| surreptitious entries | Burglaries in which no apparent force is used and thus a point of entry or exit cannot be established; may indicate loiding, picking, an unlocked door, a perpetrator with authorized access, or an occupant-staged crime.
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| surveillance | The secretive and continuous observation of persons, places, and things to obtain information concerning the activities and identity of individuals.
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| swoop and squat | One of several varieties of auto fraud. In this version, a person suddenly swoops in front of the car you are driving and hits his/her breaks, causing you to rear-end them. The person then claims medical injuries were caused by you and your insurer usually pays the "victim."
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| synthetic narcotics | Narcotics that are chemically related to opiates but that are produced entirely within laboratories; primarily used as painkillers.
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| tack | The equipment used with horses (e.g., saddles, bridles, horse blankets).
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| tactical intelligence | Information that implies immediate action and can lead to arrests or the collection of additional information; may be derived from surveillance, informants, and intelligence analysis.
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| telephone record analysis time-event charting | An intelligence technique in which telephone records are compiled and analyzed to obtain information on the relationships between the subscriber and the numbers called.
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| testimony | Awitness's oral presentation of facts about which he or she has knowledge.
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| threat assessment | The process of determining the risk level posed by a threat and whether law enforcement should be called in and a criminal prosecution pursued; includes evaluation of the threatener.
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| title fraud | For motor vehicles, any act that involves altering, laundering, or counterfeiting a title or title reassignment form; often engaged in to support and cover up odometer rollbacks.
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| T-men | Agents of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (which enforced Prohibition), so-called because the bureau was part of the Department of the Treasury.
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| tool mark | Any impression, cut, gouge, or abrasion made when a tool comes into contact with another object.
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| totality of the circumstances | In determining the applicability of the Miranda warnings, an approach that takes all the circumstances into consideration, rather than imposing a strict interpretation based on formal procedures.
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| trace evidence | Evidence that is extremely small or microscopic in size or is present only in limited amounts.
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| trace evidence vacuum | A vacuum which gathers small (even microscopic) evidence at the crime scene. Examples of evidence gathered by it include hairs and fibers.
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| traced forgery | Created by tracing over a genuine signature, commonly found on fraudulent (questioned) documents such as contracts, checks, and monetary instruments.
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| tracing evidence | Evidence that helps identify and locate the suspect.
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| traditional powders | The basic powders, available in a number of colors, that have been used for decades for developing latent fingerprints.
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| trailer | In arson, any substance used to spread the fire from the plant to other parts of a room or building.
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| trends | A general tendency in the occurrence of crime across a large geographic area over an extended period of time.
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| Trojan horse | Any computer program that is altered or designed to perform an unwanted or malicious function while appearing to perform a routine or benign function.
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| Truth in Mileage Act (1986) | Federal legislation that requires more tightly controlled documentation and recording of odometer readings each time ownership of a vehicle changes.
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| T/S/D crimes | Any illegal acts involving the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous wastes.
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| tuberculosis | A chronic bacterial infection, spread by air, that usually infects the lungs and can lead to death if untreated; a health hazard for anyone in contact with high-risk individuals such as drug addicts and homeless persons.
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| tumbling | The illegal altering of a cellular phone's microchip so that its access codes change after each call, making it difficult to trace the fraudulent user; done through a personal computer.
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| ultraviolet fluorescence | A technique in which a darkened fire scene is illuminated with an ultraviolet lamp so that certain substances glow; used to detect residues of accelerants and to locate the point of a fire's origin.
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| unbundling | A medical fraud technique in which each component of service is separated and billed separately, creating a higher charge than if properly billed as a single category of service.
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| unknown or questioned samples | (1) Recovered crime scene samples whose sources are in question; (2) questioned evidence that may have been transferred to an offender during the commission of a crime and may have been taken away by him or her; (3) questioned evidence recovered at multiple crime scenes that associates a particular tool, weapon, or person with each scene.
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| upcoding | A type of medical fraud in which patients and insurers are billed for longer office visits than occurred, or are billed for more expensive tests which were never done.
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| vehicle canvass | A systematic approach to documenting every vehicle in the immediate vicinity of a crime as a means of locating the suspect's vehicle.
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| vehicle fraud | Any fraudulent activity involving motor vehicles; includes theft of vehicles, fraud perpetrated on purchasers of vehicles, and fraud committed by owners (or persons acting on their behalf) against insurance companies.
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| vehicle identification number (VIN) | The 17-character identification number assigned to every car manufactured or sold in the United States.
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| venire | The large panel of potential jurors from which a trial jury will be picked.
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| viatical settlements | Though some viatical settlements are operated legally, many are scams. An example of a viatical settlement is when people's life insurance policies are bought for less than face value. The seller thus has access to cash and the buyer makes a profit on the difference between the face value of the policy and the amount paid to the insured.
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| VIN | See vehicle identification number.
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| violation | In some states, this is a minor transgression of the law, often punishable by a fine of no more than $250 (e.g., littering).
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| Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP) | FBI unit whose mission is to facilitate cooperation, communication, and coordination between law enforcement agencies and to provide support in their efforts to investigate, identify, track, apprehend, and prosecute violent serial offenders.
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| virus | A malicious program that is secretly inserted into normal software or a computer's active memory and runs when the host runs; causes effects ranging from annoying messages and deletion of data to interference with the computer's operation.
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| Vollmer, August | Often thought of as an administrator, Vollmer's other contributions are towering: he helped John Larson develop the first workable polygraph in 1921 and established in Los Angeles in 1923 America's first full forensic laboratory.
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| Vucetich, Juan | Worked on the use of fingerprints in Argentina. In 1894, he published his own book on the subject, Dactiloscopia Comparada.
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| washing (of title) | The process of fabricating a vehicle's sale to a purchaser in a jurisdiction that does not issue salvage titles or carry title brands forward, thereby obtaining a clean title on the vehicle.
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| weight (of evidence) | The amount of believability a jury gives to the testimony of a witness or the presentation of an item of evidence.
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| West case | A 1903 incident in which two criminals with the same name, identical appearances, and nearly identical measurements were distinguished only by fingerprints, thus significantly advancing the use of fingerprints for identification in the United States.
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| white-collar crime | Any illegal act committed by concealment or guile, rather than physical means, to obtain money or property, avoid payment or loss of money or property, or obtain business or personal advantage. While these may be operated legally, many such investments are simply frauds and the money disappears.
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| witness | A person who has firsthand knowledge regarding a crime or who has expert information regarding some aspect of the crime.
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| worm | A malicious program that attacks a computer system directly, rather than infecting a host program; spreads rapidly through the Internet or e-mail.
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