Anatomy of a Sexual Assault Investigation II

In the last posting I spoke to you about the genesis of the sexual assault investigation. So in this first phase I’ll focus on the call.

The RP (reporting party) places the call into the dispatch center where the nature of the call is disclosed: made known. During this phase, the dispatcher will attempt to gain basic information. Primary to this is the level of danger or threat that is still present. The dispatcher will ask what exactly happened, in this case a sexual assault.

The first question, after determining what happened, is where the incident occurred. Determining jurisdiction is primary because it is used to direct where the call is directed.

After this, the dispatcher will need to determine when the offense happened. This is necessary because if the event has just happened it will have a direct affect on the level of law enforcement response.   –Note: We will discuss the different levels of police response in a later post.

Once the identity of the victim has been clearly recorded, the dispatcher will gather as much information as possible on who the perpetrator – the suspect- is. This information should include as much information as possible: name, DOB: height, weight, eye and hair color. If the address is known, or even a possible hangout, this information will be added as well.

This last piece of information is the why. This is not vital at this point because the Contact Officer will cover it during his initial interview; but if the information is provided it will be collected.

This is where we’ll stop for now and pick up again with phase two, Call Holding.

  

Anatomy of a Sexual Assault Investigation

How does an investigation happen?
What do you do?
How do you deal with it?
These are a few of the questions I'm asked quite frequently. Well for most sexual assault investigations, it all begins with a call.
Everything begins when someone, a friend, the emergency-room nurse, or a passerby sees or comes in contact with the victim and calls it in for police intervention.
The person who actually makes that call is the RP, reporting party; or the CP, calling party.  Every once in a while, rare though it may be, the RP may also be the same person as the victim.
Now, where the actual investigation begins is when the uniformed officer arrives on scene. We call him or her the Contact Officer or the On Scene officer. The Contact officer maintains control of the case until the investigation is assumed by detectives.  
What happens next determines how the investigation proceeds. I will break down the steps progressively over the next few postings. Feel free to drop me an email if there's a point you have a question about.

NHI, about to Drop

As you know, I announced the release of my first novel NHI almost three months ago. But the actual drop date has been for one reason or another beyond my control, pushed back. But... and here is where the drum roll would be playing--- but, I have word from my publisher that this month should finally see the release of NHI. Yeah!!!!

The second book in the series is called DRT and it is almost complete. I have just about finished the first draft and the editor loves it so far. I will be posting updates as they are made available and hopefully you will get to read NHI very soon followed shortly therafter by DRT: Dead Right There.

Until then, may the Lord bless and keep you in all you do.

The Process of Time

In thinking about today’s topic, the question of just why so many people seem to give up on the call of God in their lives; why we so often find ourselves or others we know stalling like a car on the side of the road. And as I began to look at different personalities in scripture, I found some of the same tendencies in them as I see in many of us today.

I’m sure you have come to those moments in your life when you looked at the Christian experience and wondered what in the world was happening; what happened to the joy and the peace that was or maybe even use to be yours… and what about all the power we hear so much about?

When we begin to experience those moments I want you to know that you are simply going through a process; the process of time.

This is an experience given to the Believer by God where we get to put into practice the things He has already demonstrated to and taught us.

It’s our time and place of maturity.

What we can’t allow ourselves to do during these breaks, or moments of silence, is to begin to lower ourselves to what I like to call our own best reasoning.

These are the moments when we are to call to remembrance the truth of the Proverb recorded in chapter 3: 5-7:

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

In Genesis chapter 12 we are introduce to Abraham, then known as Abram. Abram is given a directive by God to leave his home and go out to the place where God would lead him. As with us, most often, at first all went well.

Abram goes out and has fellowship with the Lord on the road, but then came the trials and that’s when we see the human weakness of Abram. He decides to go into Egypt.

Here we have the promise of God’s gift of a son to Abraham. Abraham is 75 years old when he receives this promise and then for the next 25 years, he goes through the process of maturation. A period where not only is Abraham removed from those family and friends that God commanded him to back in chapter 12, but where the character of the man is being transformed into the likeness of God Himself.

How this transformation achieved:

Perhaps there was a day, a time, in your life when you felt that you knew what it was God wanted of you. Or at least you understood that it was the right thing for you do in living for and giving your life to the Lord.

These moments often come to us after we have suffered through a particular trial. Like Abram and Sarai had in not having a child and being ridiculed by a culture that valued children and the creation of heirs for the continuance of the family linage.

Abram is 75 years old when he is called of God and given a promise of great goodness. Gen 12: 4.

List of trials overcome through the process of time.

1.     Leave your family and identity behind.

a.     Gen. 12: 1-3 – Told to leave all that was who he was and knew.

2.     Trust God in the face of trials.

a.     Gen. 12: 10 famine

b.     Separation continued.

c.      Lot, Abram’s nephew, go your way the promise enhanced

d.     War on the road 14 years into the journey fellowship with high priest. 14: 5

e.      Covenant made with God 15:6

1.     Once separation unto God is achieved the next level is revealed.

f.       The alternative path offered 16: 2

1.     The flesh comes up with another great idea. Oops!

g.     Abram name not changed 86 years old Ishmael born

1.     Gen. 16: 15 - The flesh produces fruit. It has consequences.

h.     Covenant reinstated Name changed from Abram to Abraham 99 years old.

1.     Chapter 17: 1-2 God revisits Abraham

i.       Abraham in friendship interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah 99.

1.     Gen. 18: 23-33

j.       @ 99 Abraham still slips in the flesh 20: 11 “I thought…”

1.     There are still many times when we fail but the growth of the Spirit still works in us.

k.      Age 100, God brings Abraham to the next level of maturity and brings the promised child to life.

1.     Gen. 21: 1-4 – Isaac born and circumcised.

l.        Abraham had to get rid of the work of the flesh.

1. Gen 21: 12 – Ishmael kicked out.

m.  Finally Abraham has arrived to the man he was called to be… Gen 22: 1-8, 12.

a.     Isaac is believed to be from 18-20 years of age.

b.     From age 75 to 120 Abraham’s journey has lasted. 35 years.

c.      Joseph had about 25 years of processing from the pit to the throne room of Egypt.

d.     David spent over 20 years from the anointing of oil until he sat on the promised throne of Israel. 

So what we see here is a process, a process through which time is the mechanism of change. As we go through the various wars… the highs and the lows, and we learn to look to God first and trust His word preeminently. This is the place where we begin to live in that place of friendship with God.

Don’t be discouraged by your apparent failures. God sees the end from the beginning and He knows His plans for you are good and not evil, but to bring you to a pleasant end. Remember, He has the process in hand and He’s pulling for your success.