Questions key to every investigation
Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? These questions seem childlike at inception, but are truly the bases for our fact-finding formulation in crime investigation. Each of these queries provides a substantial slice for investigators.
These five fundamental inquires hopefully discover the beginning, middle and end of our investigation.
Who is not on first base? It’s who you or we think committed the criminal offense. No idea? Think. Crime may not be as random as believed. Many times victims know who the perpetrator is. Or, we have a good idea of “who done it.”
What? It’s about what was taken or what crime occurred. The easy one detected is the red light violator or the home burglary. Although these crimes appear simple to explain, they may be difficult to prove.
When? Crime is committed at all hours of the day or night. No, there’s no credible evidence a full moon increases crime. However, specific crime commission typically escalates during a definite time of day or day of week.
Where? That’s easy enough. If it’s a crime in Boulder City, we investigate. Venue offers insight into crime patterns and intelligent policing practices.
How? It’s intriguing to investigate how the crime occurred. The stories range from the mundane to an intricate web of rationalizations or justifications.
Why? The senseless crime may never be explained. However, this mystery moves an investigator’s conclusion full circle.
Questions? Important investigatory interrogations many times appear fruitless, but in truth, our profession obligates us to ask.
“Control, 269, We’ll be in service!”
July 20. Boulder City Hospital calls us regarding a patient striking a nurse. Apparently, the would-be patient felt OK after checking in. So, the person leaves the hospital against medical advice. On the way out, the would-be patient hit a nurse with a clipboard. Oh no, you didn’t! Officers catch up with the subject, and it’s off to Casa Henderson.
July 21. Officers respond to an accident near Adams and Buchanan boulevards. First issue, apparently the truck’s tire blew out, and the truck ended up in the median. Second issue, the driver shouldn’t have been driving and failed the standard field sobriety test. Thank goodness no one was hurt.
July 22. Officers get dispatched to Medical Park Drive in reference to a suspicious incident. A resident wants the grandson cited for trespassing. The admitted and previously arrested narcotic-using grandson was located and issued a citation from the location.
July 23. One of our previously arrested substance-abusing residents is at mom’s house off Avenue A. Mom calls us since the son will not leave the house. We make contact with the subject and learn he has an invitation from the court to Clark County Detention Center. We were able to resolve mom’s issue by providing a prisoner transport to Metropolitan Police Department in Las Vegas. Simplicity is great.
July 24. A traveler barrels into our town traveling 80 mph in a 55 mph zone. The red and blues look nice at night. After receiving the speeding citation, our traveler continues on to Lake Mead. An officer on lakeside patrol spots a car traveling almost 70 mph in a 45 mph zone. You’re kidding right? It’s the same speeder from a moment earlier. Wow! The speeder got a welcoming gift and a departing one.
July 25. A caller reports seeing a subject allegedly steal a teddy bear from a location off Avenue A. We find the alleged suspect at Del Prado Park. This time we made contact with the subject because of a fight. After running the subject’s name, we learn the subject failed to update the felony registration address. The paddy wagon arrives and whisks the subject off to our bar-laced building.
July 26. A caller reports of a single vehicle rollover accident on Nelson Road, State Route 165, about 3 miles in from U.S. Highway 95. Apparently, the young driver went to pass another vehicle, drove off the road and then went end over end. The occupants called their parents, who came to pick them up and take them to the hospital. It’s going to be one heck of an investigation for Nevada Highway Patrol.
Are you ready? National Night Out is around the corner — 6 p.m. Tuesday. I hope to see you out at Veterans’ Memorial Park. The ball game will be a blast. This is a night for the Boulder City community to enjoy.
Officer Jeffrey Grasso is an 11-year veteran of the Boulder City Police Department. He previously served as a police officer in south Florida for four years.
