SECTION 127.632. Criminal Investigation (One Credit), Adopted 2015

(a) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 10-12. Recommended prerequisite: Principles of Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course.

(b) Introduction.

(1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills for students to further their education and succeed in current or emerging professions.

(2) The Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security Career Cluster focuses on planning, managing, and providing legal services, public safety, protective services, and homeland security, including professional and technical support services.

(3) Criminal Investigation is a course that introduces students to the profession of criminal investigations. Students will understand basic functions of criminal investigations and procedures and will learn how to investigate or follow up during investigations. Students will learn terminology and investigative procedures related to criminal investigation, crime scene processing, evidence collection, fingerprinting, and courtroom presentation. Through case studies and simulated crime scenes, students will collect and analyze evidence such as fingerprint analysis, bodily fluids, hairs, fibers, shoe and tire impressions, bite marks, drugs, tool marks, firearms and ammunition, blood spatter, digital evidence, and other types of evidence.

(4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other leadership or extracurricular organizations.

(5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

(c) Knowledge and skills.

(1) The student demonstrates professional standards/employability skills as required by business and industry. The student is expected to achieve business and industry employability skills standards such as attendance, on-time arrival, meeting deadlines, working toward personal/team goals every day, and ethical use of technology.

(2) The student explores criminal investigative procedures, investigations, and follow-up according to the profession and its job functions. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze the field of criminal investigations;

(B) compare and contrast the characteristics of an effective investigator;

(C) examine preliminary investigations such as initial response, point of arrival, priorities, emergency situations, and protection of the crime scene;

(D) research follow-up procedures for an investigation; and

(E) evaluate the effectiveness of interrelationships with individuals involved in investigations such as police officers, dispatchers, prosecutors, defense counsel, physicians, coroners, medical examiners and forensic crime laboratories, citizens, witnesses, victims, complainants, and media.

(3) The student uses proper equipment in documenting the crime scene during field investigations. The student is expected to:

(A) explain the use of field notes;

(B) demonstrate an understanding of when, what, where, and how to take notes;

(C) demonstrate how to effectively take notes during an investigation;

(D) distinguish between the advantages and disadvantages of photographs and video at a crime scene and an investigation;

(E) plan how to use digital investigative photography during an investigation at a crime scene;

(F) collect and organize a photographic sequence of photographs of a crime scene such as injuries, tool marks, fingerprints, tire impressions, footprints, bite marks, and other related evidence;

(G) analyze, evaluate, make inferences, and predict occurrences of events based on photographic evidence; and

(H) formulate ideas on admissibility of photographs in a court of law.

(4) The student uses critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to create sketches for indoor and outdoor crime scenes. The student is expected to:

(A) create a plan and make observations before sketching a crime scene, both as an individual and as a team;

(B) describe the elements of a crime scene sketch such as measurements, compass directions, scale of proportion, legend/key, and title;

(C) develop a crime scene sketch using coordinates or measurements from fixed points;

(D) summarize the crime scene by taking notes and recording details;

(E) analyze and evaluate to assess the crime scene sketch; and

(F) research and describe the final sketch such as finished scale drawing and computer assisted drawing.

(5) The student explores writing effective reports for criminal investigations. The student is expected to:

(A) distinguish among organizing information, structuring the narrative, and composing the content;

(B) identify the importance and uses of reports;

(C) analyze common problems with many investigative reports;

(D) research ways to record and dictate for future report writing; and

(E) demonstrate different ways to write a report such as in writing and computerized.

(6) The student recognizes legal searches and the Fourth Amendment as it applies to searches. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze the exclusionary rule, inevitable discovery exception, and good faith exception;

(B) explain when an officer needs a search warrant or consent to search during an investigation;

(C) research Terry v. Ohio and the legal ramifications it has on pat downs and frisks;

(D) evaluate a search incident to an arrest;

(E) describe searching during emergency situations and warrantless searches of vehicles; and

(F) demonstrate how to conduct an inventory of a vehicle.

(7) The student determines what search patterns should be used in exterior and interior searches of crime scenes. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze the precedents that were established by the Carrol v. United States, Chambers v. Florida, Chimel v. California, Mapp v. Ohio, Terry v. Ohio, and Weeks v. United States decisions;

(B) conduct a systematic search of a simulated crime scene for physical evidence following crime scene search patterns such as spiral, line, grid, and strip;

(C) demonstrate how to conduct building, vehicle, suspect, and dead body searches; and

(D) explain how police canines are used to conduct legal searches.

(8) The student recognizes the procedures of evidence collection while maintaining the integrity of a crime scene. The student is expected to:

(A) compare and contrast the roles of crime scene investigators, detectives, and crime scene investigators;

(B) demonstrate the ability to work as a member of a team;

(C) discover and recognize evidence at a simulated crime scene;

(D) apply knowledge of the elements of criminal law that guide search and seizure of persons, property, and evidence;

(E) outline the chain-of-custody procedure for evidence discovered in a crime scene;

(F) demonstrate proper techniques for collecting, marking, photographing, packaging, preserving, and transporting physical evidence found at a crime scene;

(G) explain and demonstrate the use of video and still photography to preserve a simulated crime scene; and

(H) analyze the use of evidence in a court of law.

(9) The student recognizes the methods to process and analyze trace evidence commonly found in a crime scene. The student is expected to:

(A) demonstrate how to process trace evidence such as glass, blood, paint, fibers, and hair collected in a simulated crime scene;

(B) identify shoe and tire impressions from sample impressions;

(C) determine the direction of a projectile by examining glass fractures;

(D) analyze bite marks from crime scenes and investigations;

(E) compare and contrast the microscopic characteristics of the human hair and animal hair; and

(F) differentiate between natural and synthetic fibers.

(10) The student analyzes collected fingerprints or impressions from a simulated crime scene. The student is expected to:

(A) compare the three major fingerprint patterns of arches, loops, and whorls and their respective subclasses;

(B) identify minutiae of fingerprints, including bifurcations, ending ridges, islands, dots, short ridges, and enclosures;

(C) distinguish among patent, plastic, and latent impressions;

(D) perform laboratory procedures for lifting latent prints on porous and nonporous objects using chemicals such as iodine, ninhydrin, silver nitrate, and cyanoacrylate resin;

(E) perform laboratory procedures for lifting latent prints on nonporous objects using fingerprint powders such as black powder and florescent powders;

(F) explain the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and describe the characteristics examined in AFIS; and

(G) compare impression evidence collected at a simulated crime scene with the known impression.

(11) The student analyzes blood spatter at a simulated crime scene. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze blood stain patterns based on source, direction, and angle of trajectory; and

(B) explain the method of chemically identifying and locating an invisible blood stain using reagents such as luminol.

(12) The student explores toxicology laboratory procedures in crime labs. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze the absorption, distribution, and elimination of alcohol through the human body;

(B) research the blood alcohol laboratory procedures as they relate to blood alcohol concentration;

(C) explain the levels of tolerance and impairment due to alcohol consumption; and

(D) explain the precautions necessary for proper preservation of blood samples while at a crime scene.

(13) The student explores serology laboratory procedures in criminal investigations. The student is expected to:

(A) explain crime laboratory procedures to determine if a stain detected in a crime scene is blood; and

(B) research methodologies used to collect and analyze other body fluids.

(14) The student identifies drugs found at a simulated crime scene. The student is expected to:

(A) classify controlled substances using the schedules under the Controlled Substances Act; and

(B) identify controlled substances.

(15) The student evaluates bullet and tool mark impressions in a criminal investigation. The student is expected to:

(A) explain the individual characteristics of tool marks;

(B) describe the mechanism of modern firearms;

(C) recognize characteristics of bullet and cartridge cases;

(D) describe the composition of and method of analysis for gunshot residue and primer residue; and

(E) recognize the type of information available through the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network.

(16) The student calculates the time and cause of death in relationship to decomposition of the human body. The student is expected to:

(A) explain the process and timeline of rigor mortis and its role in calculating time of death;

(B) explain post mortem lividity and its importance when processing a crime scene;

(C) determine time of death using entomology; and

(D) determine time and cause of death methodologies through case studies.

(17) The student understands how physical evidence can provide a basis for questioning people about a crime and how questioning can provide leads for finding physical evidence. The student is expected to:

(A) explain the terms victim, complainant, witness, and suspect as they apply to a criminal investigation;

(B) demonstrate interviewing and interrogating throughout an investigation;

(C) demonstrate effective questioning techniques and positive communication skills;

(D) analyze the importance of reading the Miranda Warnings during interviewing and interrogating; and

(E) describe the techniques used to interview and question children and juveniles.

(18) The student develops a suspect profile when there is not a suspect at the crime scene and a suspect is not apprehended nearby. The student is expected to:

(A) compile information provided by victims, witnesses, and other persons likely to know about the crime or the suspect;

(B) examine physical evidence left at the crime scene to determine a suspect profile;

(C) identify a suspect Modus Operandi at a crime scene;

(D) analyze computerized composite sketch applications such as Identi-Kit;

(E) describe techniques used to create photo line ups, identification, and mug shots; and

(F) research audio, video, and electronic surveillance.

Source Note: The provisions of this §127.632 adopted to be effective April 7, 2022, 47 TexReg 1677