First Attending Officer and Police

First attending officer and police...

To every crime which has been reported to local authorities a first attending officer will arrive at the scene. This officer has many roles and responsibilities throughout the initial response process if the FAO follows the regulations and legislation correctly this can lead to an accurate arrest and outcome.

The FAO’s first main priority is ensuring the safety of individuals involved with the crime is intact, and that any first aid and paramedics are called to the scene. This step involves minimizing any potential threats to the officer himself or any other individuals within the crime scene. If there is a victim within the scene the FAO needs to make a decision of whether the victim is alive or deceased, if the victim is alive and needs medical attention immediately the officer can administer certain first aid procedures to ensure the victim stays alive whilst the paramedics are being called to the scene. However this step will not be needed in certain cases for example a robbery where no individual was hurt no paramedics and no first aid procedures would be necessary whereas within an attempted murder this step would be needed.

Once the paramedics have arrived (if needed) the FAO’s attention will turn to the scene itself and preserving any evidence necessary. The officer needs to secure the scene which will only allow access to the people that are required to be there. Other services will be called once this stage is completed depending on the type of scene these may be:

·         Fire Squad

·         Bomb Squad

·         Forensic evidence Collectors (SOCO’s)

·         Other services

Another main priority for this officer is to set out a path way (common approach pathway) for other officers and any additional people to walk across to move about within the scene. The reason for this pathway is to prevent any damage, contamination or destruction of any evidence. Evidence may have already been tampered with by family members or anyone within the scene or contaminated accidentally. From the fist second the FAO arrives at the scene every detail must be recorded by the officer, evidence should also be briefly recorded. These notes will be passed onto the CID and can be used within court by attorneys. If there is a lack of detail within the notes this may lead to a poorly distributed case.

Any witnesses should be kept at the scene however they should be kept separately, the reason for keeping them separately is to minimize any replication of others statements. The First attending officer should dear with the witnesses. Questioning and statements should be taken at the scene rather than later on within the case as memory fades quickly and different things may influence the witness’s statements.

Once other services arrive at the scene the FAO needs to clearly report what has happened and what he has done within the scene.  A CID will then be appointment to the crime and will then take over the case from the police. This is due to the police are not involved within the case throughout the whole process they are only involved within the initial stage. The CID will see the case throughout the court (if the court is needed). However some cases will not need a CID.

First Attending Office and The police within the OJ Simpson Trial...

The first attending officer to arrive at the murder scene of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman was Robert Riske. Riske assessed the situation and called the appropriate services needed, he also called backup to attend the scene. How this phone call was conducted was Riskes first mistake, the phone call was made by Nicole's land line within her kitchen. By doing this the FAO has contaminated any evidence upon that phone as it was not dusted previously as no SOCO's were at the scene. 

One of Riskes next tasks was to corden off the scene appropriatley however Riske only cordened off Nicole's house leaving the end of the pathway and further road to be open to contamination and destruction. Any evidence beyond the point of Nicoles pathway was not viable within court as the public, media, other police officers and anyone else who attended the scene could of easily damaged or contaminated the evidence. This was due to the fact the evidence was not appropriatley contained within the crime scene.

Riske allowed the additional police oficers to attend the scene without any appropriate clothing (SOCO suits), this meant that the evidence which was within the crime scene could have been contaminated by hairs, fibres and bodily fluids ect from the police officers.

FAO and Police Officers in other cases...

Depending upon the case the FAO and police offices have been called to will depend on how they deal with the situation. Firstly some investigations will not require additional back up, for example a non violent buglary. This crime will not necessarily need to be cordened off where as a crime such as a murder will need to be cordened off to mainain all the evidence minimising contamination and destruction.

Different Investigations will require certain services and some cases may not need any services. For example any cases including childen ie a kidnapping or sexual assualt will require for Social Services to get involved, where as a terrorist attack will not require social services but a bomb squad.