Criminal Investigations.
This chapter covers what a Texas peace officer must know about criminal Investigations, along with the statute limits that shape each element, at the level of detail the TCOLE tests.
Chapter 32 study guide.
This chapter follows a case from the first call to the courtroom. It starts with what an investigation is and who commits which kinds of crime. It then moves through the preliminary investigation, the crime scene, evidence, interviews, booking, testimony and the case file.
Most of it is procedure, so study it as lists and sequences. Learn the definitions in the first objective, the crime scene search methods, the three photograph ranges, the chain of custody rules and the order of examination in court. Learn the few statutes the outline names, mainly Chapter 49 of the Code of Criminal Procedure on death scenes and Chapter 38 on evidence.
Jump to an objective63
What a criminal investigation is
A criminal investigation is the process of legally gathering evidence of a crime that has been or is being committed. The word “legally” matters. Evidence gathered the wrong way may never reach the jury.
The outline attaches a vocabulary list to this objective. Most of it reappears through the rest of the chapter, so learn it here. Pay attention to the pairs that are easy to confuse: bias and prejudice, complainant and victim, reasonable suspicion and probable cause.
- Bias
- A highly personal and unreasoned distortion of judgment.
- Prejudice
- An opinion or leaning adverse to anything without just grounds or before obtaining sufficient knowledge.
- Crime
- An act or omission forbidden by law and punishable by a fine, imprisonment or even death.
- Circumstantial evidence
- Not based on personal knowledge or observation of the facts in controversy, but on other facts from which deductions are drawn, showing indirectly the facts sought to be proved.
- Corpus delicti
- Literally the body or substance of the crime. Proof establishing that a crime has occurred.
- Elements of a crime
- Conditions that must occur for an act to be called a specific kind of crime.
- Evidence
- Anything to be offered in court to prove the truth or falsity of a fact in issue.
- Fence
- One who receives and disposes of stolen property on a regular basis.
- Field identification
- On-the-scene identification of a suspect by the victim of or witness to a crime, conducted within minutes of the crime.
- Modus operandi (MO)
- A criminal’s characteristic method of operation.
- Probable cause
- Credible information that would cause a reasonable and prudent person to believe a particular suspect committed or is committing a specific offense, or that there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place.
- Reasonable suspicion
- Specific articulable facts, together with rational inferences from those facts, that would reasonably warrant the detention of a person.
- Complainant
- The person requesting an investigation or that action be taken. Often the victim.
- Victim
- The person injured by a crime.
- Witness
- A person who saw a crime or some part of it being committed, or who has relevant information.
- Suspect
- A person considered to be directly or indirectly connected with a crime, either by overt act or by planning or directing it.
- Statement
- A legal narrative description of events related to a crime.
- Rapport
- A feeling of ease and harmony in a contact or relationship between people.
On the exam Expect a definition with the term removed. Corpus delicti, modus operandi and fence are the usual picks.
A criminal investigation is the process of gathering evidence of a crime that has been or is being committed.
The term that literally means the body or substance of the crime is .
One who receives and disposes of stolen property on a regular basis is called a .
The tools of the investigator
The tools available to investigators keep growing in number and sophistication, but the fundamentals stay the same. The outline names four: information, instrumentation, interviewing, and the laws of arrest, search and seizure.
Information is the knowledge gathered from people (victims, witnesses, suspects) and from other legitimate sources such as records and reports. Instrumentation, or forensic science, covers the techniques that help solve the crime, such as fingerprints, serology, ballistics and DNA analysis. Interviewing is the questioning of victims, witnesses or suspects.
The laws of arrest, search and seizure tell you which techniques are acceptable. Knowing criminal procedure and the rules of evidence lets you gather evidence that can withstand a court challenge.
Fingerprints, serology, ballistics and DNA analysis belong to the tool called , or forensic science.
Knowledge gathered from victims, witnesses, suspects, records and reports is the tool called .
The goals of an investigation
The goal of any criminal investigation is to determine, as far as possible, the truth about how a crime occurred. The outline breaks that into five goals: determine if a crime has been committed, legally obtain information and evidence to identify the person responsible, legally arrest the suspect, recover all stolen property, and present the best case possible to the prosecutor.
Because the basic task is the truth, you gather everything that tends to prove or disprove a person’s involvement, not only what points to guilt. Not all crimes are solvable.
On the exam The first goal is to determine whether a crime was committed at all. Convicting someone is not on the list.
The basic task of a criminal investigation is to determine the .
The final goal is to present the best case possible to the .
Questions on what you just read.
- Question 1 · LO 32.1
A detective is told that a pawn shop owner regularly buys stolen tools from burglars and resells them. In the chapter’s vocabulary, the shop owner is a:
- Question 2 · LO 32.3
An officer’s evidence begins to suggest that the person she suspected did not commit the burglary. Under the goals of a criminal investigation, she should:
- Question 3 · LO 32.2
A lab compares a bullet from the victim with a suspect’s pistol and develops a DNA profile from a bloodstain. Which tool of the investigator is this?
The rest of Chapter 32.
- LO 32.4Why evidence matters legally1 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.5Proof beyond a reasonable doubt2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.6The characteristics of an investigator2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.7Property offenses and offenders11 statutes and cases · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.8The street thief2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.9The salvage switch2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.10Dealership inventory problems2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.11Rental cars: civil or criminal2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.12Signs a vehicle may be stolen, before the stop2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.13Signs a vehicle is stolen, after the stop2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.14Impounded or repossessed, not stolen2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.15Offenses against persons12 statutes and cases · 3 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.16Field identifications (show-ups)2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.17Preliminary investigation: crimes against property2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.18Preliminary investigation: crimes against persons3 statutes and cases · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.19The follow-up investigation and lineups2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.20The autopsy1 authority · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.21Homicide investigation terms5 key terms · 3 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.22Arriving at the scene2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.23Identifying the victim2 statutes and cases · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.24Special units you can call1 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.25What to broadcast to other officers1 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.26Legal authority to protect a scene5 statutes and cases · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.27Securing the scene5 statutes and cases · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.28Objectives of a crime scene search2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.29Problems in a crime scene search2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.30Crime scene search methods7 key terms · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.31Carrying out the search2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.32Calling for help and leaving the scene2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.33When evidence may and may not be used4 statutes and cases · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.34Photographing the scene3 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.35The value of a sketch2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.36Measuring and documenting the scene3 key terms · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.37Preparing a sketch2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.38What chain of custody is2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.39Establishing chain of custody2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.40Categories of evidence1 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.41Preserving evidence2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.42Getting information from victims and witnesses2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.43Legal requirements for interviews4 statutes and cases · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.44Interview techniques3 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.45Searching during booking2 statutes and cases · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.46Recording and securing prisoner property2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.47Booking data2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.48Checking for stolen and wanted information2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.49When a prisoner or officer is injured1 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.50Results of a proper booking2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.51Professional demeanor in court2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.52Refreshing your memory before testifying2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.53Taking the stand2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.54Order of examination2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.55Presenting effective testimony2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.56Staying within what you know2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.57Exclusion of witnesses: “the rule”4 statutes and cases · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.58Defense tactics4 key terms · 2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.59Testifying well and critiquing others2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.60Why manage a case1 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.61The value of a case folder2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.62What goes in the folder and the summary2 fill-in-the-blank
- LO 32.63Why the case file must be right2 fill-in-the-blank
A subscription opens the other 60 objectives in this chapter, with 118 more fill-in-the-blank items and 7 more practice questions, along with the study guide for every other BPOC chapter.
Unlock the full guideLast checked against the Texas statutes in September 2026. This guide is a study aid for the TCOLE licensing exam. It is not legal advice, and your academy’s instruction and your department’s policy come first.
The law that drives the questions.
What recruits ask about this chapter.
How does the TCOLE curriculum define criminal investigation?
A criminal investigation is the process of legally gathering evidence of a crime that has been or is being committed.
How does a Texas peace officer identify tools of the criminal investigator?
The tools available to a criminal investigator have increased and will continue to increase in number and sophistication; however, the fundamentals of criminal investigation remain the same; Criminal investigation tools.
What does the TCOLE curriculum list about goals of a criminal investigator?
The goal of any criminal investigation is to determine, to the extent possible, the truth about how a crime occurred. The goals are; The criminal investigator must be mindful that the basic task of a criminal investigation is to determine the truth. This requires the investigator to gather all the information that tends to prove or disprove a person’s involvement in a criminal act or omission. Not all crimes are solvable.
What should a Texas peace officer understand about legal significance of evidence?
The legal significance of evidence rests in its influence on the judge or juror.
Related study guides in Investigations.
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