Police Detectives

<ul><li>Provide testimony as a witness in court.</li><li>Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.</li><li>Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.</li><li>Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.</li><li>Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.</li><li>Examine crime scenes to obtain clues and evidence, such as loose hairs, fibers, clothing, or weapons.</li><li>Obtain evidence from suspects.</li><li>Prepare charges or responses to charges, or information for court cases, according to formalized procedures.</li><li>Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed.</li><li>Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene.</li><li>Obtain summary of incident from officer in charge at crime scene, taking care to avoid disturbing evidence.</li><li>Examine records and governmental agency files to find identifying data about suspects.</li><li>Secure persons at scene, keeping witnesses from conversing or leaving the scene before investigators arrive.</li><li>Take photographs from all angles of relevant parts of a crime scene, including entrance and exit routes and streets and intersections.</li><li>Analyze completed police reports to determine what additional information and investigative work is needed.</li><li>Provide information to lab personnel concerning the source of an item of evidence and tests to be performed.</li><li>Videotape scenes where possible, including collection of evidence, examination of victim at scene, and defendants and witnesses.</li><li>Prepare and serve search and arrest warrants.</li><li>Question individuals or observe persons and establishments to confirm information given to patrol officers.</li><li>Organize scene search, assigning specific tasks and areas of search to individual officers and obtaining adequate lighting as necessary.</li><li>Participate or assist in raids and arrests.</li><li>Summon medical help for injured individuals and alert medical personnel to take statements from them.</li><li>Block or rope off scene and check perimeter to ensure that entire scene is secured.</li><li>Notify, or request notification of, medical examiner or district attorney representative.</li><li>Notify command of situation and request assistance.</li><li>Note relevant details upon arrival at scene, such as time of day and weather conditions.</li><li>Maintain surveillance of establishments to obtain identifying information on suspects.</li><li>Monitor conditions of victims who are unconscious so that arrangements can be made to take statements if consciousness is regained.</li><li>Coordinate with outside agencies and serve on interagency task forces to combat specific types of crime.</li><li>Schedule polygraph tests for consenting parties and record results of test interpretations for presentation with findings.</li></ul>