SOP - CIU

Mandate

The Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) is a state agency comprised of detectives and crime scene technicians from San Andreas’s law enforcement departments charged with the duty of investigation for major felonies such as homicide, vice, narcotics, trafficking, organised, and violent crime.

The unit works to investigate, analyse, and present these cases to the District Attorney for prosecution in the San Andreas justice system.

Jurisdiction While divisions like the Port Authority, Traffic Enforcement Unit, or Park Rangers have a primary mandate to police their individual jurisdictions, any crime that falls within our operational jurisdiction can become a CIU investigation with expert assistance from the relevant division.

CIU operates out of any law enforcement station in the state of San Andreas. Our primary headquarters and base of operations is located at the Vespucci Beach Emergency Services Center in Los Santos.

Chain of Command

The following positions are for internal use within the Criminal Investigations Unit and do not replace any departmental ranks. (See roles and responsibilities for explanations of each position, their duties and restrictions)

Roles and Responsibilities Crime Scene Technician: Crime Scene Technicians are civilian employees of the CIU and work for the Crime Scene Unit led by Dr. Monica Belleau. Their main responsibility is to respond to code 4 scenes and perform evidence gathering duties at the request of Dispatch, Officers, or Detectives. CSTs are to patrol as regular units until dispatched. They return to the station, spawn their van and uniform, and respond to the location. Once on-scene, they work with the Detective present, or if alone, collect evidence and information and note in an evidence file within the document repository.

Detective Third Class: You are to patrol as a regular unit until activated and requested to attend a scene by Dispatch. At this point, return to the station, switch to active CIU, and respond. Work with any present CST personnel, or if alone, collect evidence, take witness statements, and work the case.

If you have an existing case, or are assisting on an existing case, you may activate directly as CIU and go in service as a Detective to work your case.

Detective Second Class:

In addition to the responsibilities of a DIII, Detective Second Class grade officers are able to take part in Special Operations as listed below in the relevant section. You are only to take part in currently active operations in coordination with investigation supervisors, but are free to contribute to new intelligence files gathered in the performance of this duty for the case.

Detective First Class:

Detective First Class officers are able to perform for all above listed responsibilities for DII and DIII.

Additional responsibilities include responding to witnessed felonies or violent crimes whilst out in the state. Do so in a responsible manner and dispatch must be immediately notified of your location for a uniformed marked backup unit to be dispatched. Failure to do this will result in disciplinary action. We do not wear a uniform, and for public safety and department insurance purposes uniformed personnel must be present on the scene of an active crime as quickly as possible.

Respond with caution and reservation. Remember, you have a sidearm… We are highly outgunned if an active shooter situation evolves. First Class Detectives are able to lead special operations into specific criminal activity. This is detailed below in the Special Operations Section.

Recruitment

CIU is open to all members who hold a LEO qualification and does not currently have points against them. It is recommended that any applicants have some LEO experience before applying.

All members joining will enter as Crime Scene Technicians and prove their evidence observation and collection skills before being offered a chance to take the detective’s exam if they show good understanding of procedure and a high quality of roleplay.

Promotion

Promotion will occur as the Captain sees evidence of good casework and performance of the individual’s duties. This does not give you supervisor status or seniority over any other division member.

Disciplinary Action

Detectives are held to a higher standard than regular officers and are expected to maintain an exemplary standard of roleplay when active as members of the subdivision. If you are involved in a case as a civilian, reading that document folder will result in expulsion from the unit.

Misuse of CIU vehicles or equipment may result in immediate removal from CIU.

Equipment

Vehicles

CIU has different vehicles for use in investigations:

Vehicle Colors may be chosen by the detective, however only ‘normal’ colors are permitted, Blacks, Greys, Silvers, Reds, Blues, Browns, Greens. No bright or crazy colors that would stand out in a crowd. Use your head.

Surveillance Boxville can only be logged out by request from the Detective Captain. Take Home Cars

All Detectives have the ability to take their car home and use it as a personal vehicle for their Detective character. This allows you when running Civilian, to activate immediately and respond to a scene without going to the station. This is ONLY for going to scenes when called if you are grade 3/2, departmental insurance does not cover you when not on duty. Grade 1 Detectives can stop and intervene if they witness a crime in progress, however they must immediately turn on their radio (switch to LEO channel and go 10-8) and they call it in.

Weapons

Crime Scene Technicians may carry a Flashlight to assist with their duties.

Detectives and above may carry a primary duty firearm which may be either the Pistol (M92f), Combat Pistol (Glock 17) or Combat Pistol Luxe (Sig P226) and Flashlight. Service weapon colors may be stainless, blued, black, or combination, no tan or OD weapons will be permitted in the field. Detectives of all grade are permitted to carry a backup weapon concealed upon their person (SNS/SNS II)

Detective Grade One are permitted to carry a patrol carbine in their vehicle trunk for emergency use only.

No other weapons and equipment are authorized for use unless specified by command for operations.

Uniform

CIU Personnel are to use multiplayer peds while active within the unit. Refer to the Division Uniform Structure Document for full details.

Patrolling as Detective

You should notify Dispatch or traffic that you are either Active CIU (Working a case currently or going to one) or Active as your main department, but available to go CIU if needed (Backup)

CIU’s unit callsign is X - X-Ray. This designator must be in your teamspeak name when active CIU.

If you are off-duty or running as another character in civilian. You may include your X callsign, and add CIU or CST to your name to show you are available to dispatch.

Example: “100-S dispatch, show me 10-8, 10-41, Backup CIU.” Or “100-X dispatch, show me 10-8, 10-41, Active CIU.

In Civilian Operations: ‘Bob B. 100-X CST’

Remain within your detective grade as listed above. Ensure that Dispatch is aware of your status if you are involved in active intelligence gathering.

Casework & Documentation

Case Assignment

If a detective is on patrol when a major felony or officer-involved shooting is committed, they can be dispatched to the scene, and they will become the primary detective for the case. If they are not currently active as a detective unit, they should go to the nearest station first and dress appropriately before responding. (See Uniform Structure)

No more than two Detectives may be assigned to a case. Secondary Detectives will work with the case primary and follow their lead.

Detectives are permitted to specialise in a given field such as robbery/homicide, narcotics, firearms, auto theft, Vice or gang crime. As such, you can turn down a request for CIU to a scene if it is outside your chosen area of expertise. Naturally, you can respond to any form of CIU call also. Any call you do respond to is seen as acceptance of the case and as such the scene should be worked, case written up and filed with any subsequent investigation required to reach a conclusion.

When a case is concluded, it should have CLOSED added to the folder name, and moved to the CLOSED folder. Cases go cold sometimes, either the civilian loses interest, or evidence and investigation angles dry up, or a member leaves. These cases should be marked COLD and moved to the COLD folder for archive purposes.

Not every scene civilians create is intended for CIU, even if it falls within our remit. Make an assessment if you respond to a call as to whether this is intended for us. There is little point working a case that was intended as a one off and wasting 20-30 minutes of a civilian's time interrogating them when they are able to be charged and sent to jail; be considerate.

Case Files

CST Evidence Files CST Personnel will make a folder with their number and name on within the CST Evidence folder within the case archive.

EG: Bob B. 100 X You can use the template in the CST Evidence folder to collate your findings and save a copy of this either in your own folder if you are operating alone, or, within the relevant case folder the Detective on scene creates.

Detective Report

Once a case is opened, a new folder will be created in the CIU investigations archive google drive folder titled as follows: CASE NUMBER - CASE NAME - UNIT NUMBER

For example, if an interview has been conducted with a witness, the detective should note in the case file the details of the interview, including the date/time, name of the witness, and any information.

In instances where an interview or follow-up was attempted but unsuccessful (i.e. unable to locate a witness), the case file should still be updated with this information. For example, “Attempted to locate John Smith at his residence on 11/19/2017 at 5pm EST”.

Case files are used to track detective activity so they must be kept up-to-date. Any officer-involved shootings must be documented in the corresponding folder within our case archive.

Case files should follow a relatively standard format for successful prosecution.

Example:

Title: (Folder Name) Case 001 - Shooting on Grove Street - 403

Case Name (document): Case 001 - Shooting on Grove Street Detective Banks 11/11/18

Event: Shooting in Davis.

Initial Observations and event description.

Evidence Located.

Any LEO Units on Scene.

Witnesses.

Conclusions or Present Evidence Indications and Assessment.

After this initial information is collated, the file can expand to include the Detective’s conclusions, or their opinion based on the evidence collected to assist further investigation. Example:

Shooting on Grove Street.

Arrived on scene of shooting, Victim Bob Bobsworth, Member of Ballas Gang. Victim shot 5 times in the chest while walking down the street.

Evidence: Casings located in the street, match for 9mm, quantity suggest SMG. Paint transfer found on a damaged lamp post. LEO Present: 100-S, 099-T, 097-Y.

Witnesses; two passersby, Mary Jenkins, Tom Willsworth. (Include statements)

We found bullet casings from a 9mm smg on scene, and paint transfer from a car on a nearby lamp post, paint was yellow, Suggesting shooters were in a vehicle. Location and vehicle color suggest possible gang activity, yellow perhaps indicating Vagos gang, known enemy of Ballas, possible direction of investigation.

The final case report presented to the Captain is your case file. Once the Case has reached a point where you can bring prosecution, tidy up the report and ensure grammar and spelling is correct and that a third party can read the notes you have made and understand the case. Write a summary of your observations and evidence and identified suspects.

After completing an investigation and forming a reasonable hypothesis, the detective will submit a report on the crime.

If enough evidence has been collected to make an arrest, the warrant should be submitted to the Captain for review before submission to the District Attorney for prosecution.

Crime Scenes

Upon arrival at a crime scene, the detective shall ensure the scene is secure. If the scene has not been secured satisfactorily, the detective should request additional marked units to provide security and crowd control.

Once the crime scene has been secured process the scene for evidence and conduct interviews. (Witnesses, LEO/Medics on scene) Out-of-character coordination with the civilian that commited the crime is necessary to coordinate what evidence might have been found based on your assessment of the scene.

Use of /ooc messages is best used to do this, unless a victim (civ) is on scene to use /me with.

Move around the scene when you search for things. Don’t simply sit in one spot and /ooc your way to victory. A detective may ask out-of-character questions to a civilian based on information collected at the scene.

If an officer-involved shooting occurs detectives will be dispatched to the scene to investigate, however, note that you will be operating as secondary to a supervisor on scene who will lead the overall investigation (Not of the officer's involved department where possible). You are in charge of the scene, however the supervisor is in overall charge of the case and you will be reporting to them. YOU WILL NOT RAISE THE RESULTS OF YOUR INVESTIGATION WITH THE OFFICER INVOLVED - Pass findings to a supervisor and allow them to address any issues.

Interviews

If follow-up interviews are needed, the detective should meet with the witness/suspect at their place of residence or business. The detective may also request that the person meet them at CIU HQ, but the civilian is under no obligation to do so. The civilian’s refusal to meet with a detective should not be used against them in any way.

(If there are timezone/scheduling conflicts with the person you need to interview, feel free to send them a PM on the forums and conduct the interview that way.)

Warrants

If a suspect is not already in custody, the detective will need to submit an arrest warrant request to the Captain. They will then advise you that it is sound, and can be submitted through the CAD. Note, CIU investigations are not limited to the 24-hour rule for warrant requests.

Warrants are best kept as simple as possible for the sake of clarity, and do not require a retelling of the entire case… A successful warrant can be two sentences if formatted correctly. Note, Warrants against 403 go directly to Bobby D. 158 for review before submission. Any warrants for Cyber purposes (computers or cellphones go to Stan P. 138 as head of Cyber Crimes).

Arrest Warrant Your Warrant should include the following:

  • Suspect ID - How did you identify this person? Prints? - do they have a record? Include how… verbalise this in the warrant. “Bob’s prints were found, he has a criminal record and they are on file.”

  • Charges - How you know they committed the crimes you are charging them with.

Search Warrant

If additional evidence is needed and the person is not willing to let the detective search their property, the detective will submit a search warrant request. The warrant will include:

  • Location, account, cellphone, or item to be searched

  • Scope of the search - What you expect to find and why you believe you will find it (evidence of suspicion and probable cause).

Special Operations

Goal:

The goal of the Special Operations Unit is to actively work the streets and gather information to ensure a broad picture of crime and criminal activity is understood.

Execution:

Detectives involved in this activity are designated tasks by a supervising Detective First Class who will task a specific remit for the operation. These can be into specific criminal activities such as gang crime, narcotics, vice, larceny or auto theft.

The main role of detectives is to create and manage confidential informants with which they can establish an information network.

The priority for Detectives is to operate in a low visibility role and ensure the security and currency of the intelligence they are acquiring. This will require detectives to not be obviously identifiable as an officer. While not undercover, these officers must carry their badge and service weapon on them, but are not to wear them visibly during operations. If interacting with uniformed law enforcement, you must readily and immediately identify yourself as a CIU Detective.

Maintaining a civilian appearance is key to maintaining the currency of intelligence gathered in the field.

Turning Suspects:

When arrests are made on the street, it is possible for CIU Detectives involved in a relevant active Intelligence operation to attend the station and speak to the suspect. The intention is to encourage cooperation in exchange for reduced sentences.

The value of the intelligence given by the suspect should be weighed against their charges, and consider whether they can become a valuable intelligence asset on the street in a recurring fashion, or, utilised for a one time information extraction and sent onwards to corrections.

This is a case-by-case basis and must be passed to the Captain for assessment.

Case Files:

For Special Operations, the Detective First Class in charge of a specific operation will create a folder for it in the Special Operations directory.

This will include:

Biographies on any confidential Informants, and the handling Detective.

Active Intelligence reports returned from CIs and Detective fieldwork. Detective Second Class working on Intelligence cases must keep the handling Detective First Class informed of all new information. The Detective First Class running a given case will liaise weekly with the Captain to keep them abreast of new developments or changes in the case and any further assets required.

Plain Clothes / Undercover Operations:

Any plainclothes/undercover operation that isn’t part of an ongoing special operation or simple plain clothes drug buy needs to have approval from the Captain before execution to ensure appropriate safety and security measures are taken along with allocation of additional units or resources.

Operational Procedures & Crime Scene Policy

Background

Operational procedure for Criminal Investigations Unit Crime Scene Investigation is split into two distinct fields within the world of Chaos Gaming Network Roleplay: In-game forensics role-play and scene role-play coordination.

The on-scene component will focus on accurate role-play of forensics technicians brought in to a scene once declared code 4 to search for and collect evidence pertaining to the incident for investigation by Law Enforcement Officers.

Role-play coordination will focus on communication with civilians involved in the scenario and using information gathered to create relevant evidence for the law enforcement officers involved to investigate the case, or prosecute the individual after the fact.

Remember, the core principles of solving a crime…

Means to commit a crime, the ability for an individual to commit the crime in question. Motive: A reason why the suspect would have committed the crime.

Opportunity: Reasonable ability for the suspect to be at the crime scene at the time.

On Scene Investigation

Members conducting on scene investigation for CIU CSU will attend at the request of dispatch in the crime scene vehicles defined.

Once assigned by Dispatch, personnel will stage outside a scene before moving in once the area is declared code 4 and taking over the scene.

Once the scene has been handed over to Crime Scene Technicians, the scene now belongs to CIU until handed back to the relevant law enforcement agency. This allows technicians to control scene contamination by officers, and entry is permitted based on the decision of the ranking member of CIU on scene.

Scene Procedure and Jurisdiction

A crime scene is broken up into 3 zones to simplify the process of securing and identifying evidence involved in a case. This allows all personnel working the crime scene, regardless of their training or specialty to operate in a manner which maintains the integrity of evidence on a scene and for Crime Scene Technicians to do their job effectively and secure vital evidence in a case to aid successful investigation and prosecution of any guilty parties.

On scene personal protective equipment must be worn by all personnel depending on the scene zone they enter; this protects personnel against biohazards and other harmful substances, and also prevents contamination of evidence within a scene. Scene zones are; Red, Amber, and Yellow. (Use MP Ped lab suit in white, with white sneakers, blue latex gloves and lower face respirator where necessary).

Yellow: Overshoes and gloves.

Amber: Overshoes, protective suit, gloves.

Red: Overshoes, protective suit, gloves, mask.

It is the duty of CIU personnel and Crime Scene Technicians to ensure that these procedures are followed and that integrity is maintained within a scene. Whilst regular patrol officers are aware of forensic protocol, they are not specialists and may require a polite indication that evidence could be compromised by their presence within a given zone.

If a member of law enforcement requires access, they are to be given the appropriate personal protective equipment to ensure that contamination does not occur.

In roleplay terms, active CIU personnel control a crime scene once it has been declared code 4 if active. Any and all other personnel are to defer to their instructions at this point. We are to be polite and respectful to any and all personnel working a scene and ensure that interdepartmental relationships are maintained. Note, CIU is not involved with Motor Vehicle Accidents unless there is criminality involved or death. At all times, CIU will work these cases with TEU officers for professional expertise.

Scene Zones

This diagram highlights the location of scene zones to be adhered to when working a crime scene. The exact size and shape of these zones is to be set by the ranking CIU member on scene based on projected evidence locations. Multiple zones may be required of each type depending on primary locations of activity and evidence on a given site. Multiple red zones and amber zones may be required within an overall scene yellow zone based on locations of interest.

Yellow Zone:

The Yellow Zone denotes the scene perimeter set by law enforcement personnel. Once the scene is handed over to CIU, entry is by permission of the ranking member on scene. This area requires no additional protective equipment, but vigilance at all times.

(Example) property boundary for a house or 100 meter radius for an MVA.

Amber Zone:

The Amber Zone, or amber zones, denotes a potential evidence zone where it is necessary to take steps to protect against contamination. Overboots and gloves must be worn by all personnel present.

(Example) Immediate vicinity of crime, 10m radius of MVA.

Red Zone:

The Red Zone, or red zones, are the primary foci within a crime scene identified on initial sweep. These locations are only to be entered when wearing full protective suits, overboots and gloves to prevent contamination of evidence. These zones must only be entered by qualified forensics personnel and any LEO personnel must be escorted. (Example) Interior of property or vehicle in case of MVA.

Required Equipment

For on scene investigation, forensics personnel must wear the appropriate clothing to prevent contamination of scenes. When actively operating as a Crime Scene Technician, the following jumpsuit must be worn to ensure contamination does not occur.

Personnel should not attend a scene wearing protective equipment, this should be donned upon arrival at the scene. they should respond in regular duty attire (Smart/smart casual office)

Any personnel or supervisors attending but not actively involved in investigation may wear only overboots and gloves, but must remain free of any red zones active.

Scene Sweep and Identification of Evidence

On initial arrival on-scene, personnel will be directed to the primary crime scene by initiating officers. After donning appropriate scene attire, personnel will conduct a primary sweep of the scene.

This will begin at any primary locations; vehicle, body, structure.

Investigators and Technicians will then begin an outward clockwise spiral search marking evidence of note with yellow markers. Evidence is not to be analysed or collected at this time, however, it is to be marked and continue until primary evidence zones (red) can be identified and marked, and the perimeter of the amber zone can be determined. Once this is set, scene control is secured and access is via permission of CIU personnel.

At this point, scene analysis may begin. Law enforcement scene command will be informed on the status of the scene and any primary red zones and evidence identified. The technicians may then begin evidence documentation and collection.

Once completed, on-scene personnel vacate and brief the senior investigator on initial findings and evidence collected and inform them of when and where to collect their report.

At this time, a Primary Scene Evidence Report will be filed for reference in the appropriate case folder.

Role-play Coordination

A primary role of CIUs is to allow coordinated role-play between the civilian and law enforcement divisions of Chaos Gaming Network Roleplay.

This will begin when CIU Personnel arrive on scene and are briefed by the ranking law enforcement personnel on the ground. At this point, scene assessment will begin, and investigators will be able to identify likely sources of evidence. Once the Investigator has a list of potential evidence. This can be formulated into simple questions that may be asked of the civilian responsible out-of-character. It is vital to ensure the in-character / out-of-character relationship be maintained absolutely. Working with the civilian department out-of-character is integral to our work. We must utilise this to enable roleplay, not metagame.

Questions can be formed as such… Shooting Victim found - Reasonable assumption - bullet located - bullet will match a type of firearm - if one is later secured, this is hard evidence. - it is possible to say to a civilian out-of-character; “I found the victim shot… what type of gun was used?” The civilian must answer honestly, but succinctly… “Combat Pistol” or “Heavy Revolver”.

The active personnel will then continue with standard scene forensics procedures as detailed above and role-play location of evidence for collection, documentation and removal from scene.

Once this is completed and the personnel hand the scene back to law enforcement. Initial findings are to be written up and secured within a new case file along with scene screenshots taken for evidentiary purposes.

The intention of this component of our operation is to provide directional clues for roleplay of investigation, not all the answers... we are detectives... let us use our little grey cells (to quote Hercule Poirot).

Due to the limitations of Roleplay, and that we don’t have ‘labs’ to take evidence for analysis when dealing with ballistics, biological evidence or DNA, we must roleplay it at the scene to the best of our abilities.

It is encouraged to coordinate with the Civ involved in your case either for time in patrol to continue a case, or to run evidence collected. This is best done via discord DM.

Example Case:

It is plausible to assume that due to the above we may find:

Clothing fibres on door frames or furniture. Hair fibres if civilian offers.

A bullet is recovered indicating firearm type or post-mortem examination of a knife wound indicates blade type.

Abandoned vehicle may have mud on its tires indicating a rough start location of the murderer.

Muddy ground may have footprints indicating shoe type and direction of travel initially.

clothing and appearance: blue jeans, black shirt, dark hair, military boots,

Vehicle: vapid stanier car.

Initial location or possible hideout: Cluckin bell factory, Paleto Bay. - poultry fibres in mud on tire

Weapon: Combat Pistol (Registered or unregistered)

This information allows us to create suitable evidence without giving the game away.

For example:

Tire tracks located on scene match type fitted standard to vapid stanier cars.

Fibres found on door jam of house match blue denim jeans, boot prints in blood military pattern.

A dark hair located in the house against a wall.

Shell casing with ejector patterns matching a combat pistol. (Prints or not?)

Depending on civilian intentions ( want the police to get a lead) fibres from jeans could contain a trace chemicals from something used in meat processing plants... for example. (gives police several leads in San Andreas)

This requires role-play initiative and experience. Those involved must put some effort into this and respect the civilians involved intentions for the situation.

As attached to a scene, identify potential evidence locations and utilise this to formulate evidence sources. After a successful examination… the lead officer may go to the civilian channel and request the guilty civilian chat in private to discuss the evidence. If a civilian commits a major felony, it is required to comply with CIU Personnel.

Character names are NOT to be discussed. Civilians operate a number of characters, so knowing the responsible civilian gives us nothing of substance to metagame using.

Ask the civilian questions based on your findings...

These examples refer somewhat pointedly to homicide, but similar questions can be tabled for any investigation based on a case-by-case basis.

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