Investigating The Theft of Bus Radio – Process & Tactics

Investigations are vital in assisting law enforcement in uncovering the facts related to an incident and solving crimes. In the case of the missing bus radios, various investigation techniques can be employed to uncover clues and solve the mystery. Documentation, interview techniques, observations, and technological tools can all be used to help solve the case.

Documentation is important in any investigation as it can provide clues as to what happened and who was involved. In the case of the missing bus radios, documentation such as bus radio logs, security footage, and witness statements can all be helpful in piecing together what happened.

Interview techniques are another important tool that can be used in an investigation. In the case of the missing bus radios, interviews with the bus drivers, radio dispatchers, and maintenance staff can all provide valuable information.

Observations can also be helpful in an investigation. In the case of the missing bus radios, observing the bus radios that are still in place can give clues as to how they were taken and who might have taken them.

Finally, technological tools can also be used to help solve the case of the missing bus radios. GPS tracking data from the bus radios can be used to determine their last known location. Additionally, forensic analysis of the radios themselves can provide clues as to how they were taken and who might have taken them.

By employing these various investigation techniques, it is hoped that the case of the missing bus radios can be solved. In this paper, we will look at the various options we have available during the bus radio theft investigation case, documentation, interview techniques, observations, and tools used during our attempt to solve the case.

Case Background

According to the University of Phoenix simulation, the police and security department of the university received a report of a number of stolen radios from the school buses parked in the bus yard. According to the reports, these radios were recently installed from 2020 to 2022 steadily. However, within four months of installation, the radios started getting stolen. According to the transportation director, after the initial loss, the university ordered ten additional radios, along with further tightening security in the interest of keeping the matter internally. The radios were to arrive the following week. The equipment is said to cost around $1,000 each.

Upon arrival, the police found several items of interest, including fingerprints on various key locations on and around the radio station, discarded soda cans (for DNA matching) in relevant places, a screwdriver, and several footprint impressions on and around the area. The police took images of the scene and determined that whoever did this was a professional as there was no damage to and around the area of damage.

While the footprints were not a decisive or distinctive finding in terms of the investigation (because of the volume of foot traffic in the area), the fingerprints were of key interest as they could help significantly in finding the responsible individual(s). However, because of the public nature of these buses and how students also had access to touching the radio itself, significant evidence was required to pin the fingerprints to the stealer.

Tactics Used

For this investigation, the police will need to employ a number of tactics in the area because of the area's public nature. The different types of investigation tactics that would suit this investigation are as follows:

1. Reviewing the scene of the crime. This will help the department get a better understanding of what happened and also look for any more clues that may have been left behind. The idea is to put these clues together such that every bit can support the next and lead to a fairer conviction.

2. Conducting interviews. This will help the department to gather information from eyewitnesses or people who may have heard something. It is important to note that arresting purely because of patterns or ethnic/religious backgrounds is something that the department should strictly avoid.

3. Collecting evidence. This will be crucial in helping the department to build its case against a possible suspect. This step includes:

a. Documenting evidence. The department will need to document all of the evidence that they collect in order to build their case. This evidence will be collected from the scene of the crime, interviews, and any other sources that may be helpful.

b. Analyzing evidence. This will help the department to determine what, if any, clues the evidence may hold. The department will need to analyze all of the evidence that they have collected in order to determine what, if any, clues it may hold. This analysis will be crucial in helping the department to build its case against a possible suspect.

c. Building a profile of the suspect. This will help the department to narrow down its search for a possible suspect. The evidence should be used to create the profile, but the profile should not be the only lead that the case follows, nor be biased by it. This profile will be built from the evidence that has been collected and analyzed – instead of creating a profile to find specific evidence(s).

4. Following up on leads with the profile in mind. This will help the department to track down any possible suspects and bring them in for questioning.

5. Conduct interrogations. These can be as a follow-up of the interviews or solely based on the evidence found. The latter option is much better as it would help the department strengthen its position, backed up by facts and evidence.

6. Making an arrest. This will be the final step in the investigation and will hopefully result in a conviction. The arrest should only be made once there is foolproof evidence of the crime.

The police department will need to employ all of these tactics in order to build a strong case and bring the person responsible for the crime to justice. There are a number of steps that would fall under the investigation within each step. These include:

1. Making sure that all possible leads are being thoroughly investigated.

2. Conducting interviews with witnesses, victims, and suspects. The department would identify different psychological and physical cues during the interview to get a better understanding of the direction their investigation will take.

3. Putting together a case file and sharing it with relevant individuals. The police department has the liberty of determining what it wants to share and with whom, such that the individual can help steer the investigation in the right direction.

Interviewed Individuals

The police department should interview the following individuals during the investigation:

1. The victim(s) – Bus drivers and the head of the department.

2. Any witnesses.

3. Any suspected thieves and persons of interest, i.e., individuals seen around the area of the crime. If DNA and fingerprints have been identified, the people in question should also be interviewed for their alibi.

4. Anyone with knowledge of the person(s) of interest's whereabouts before or after the crime occurred.

5. Anyone with knowledge of the victim's whereabouts before or after the crime occurred.

6. The accused's teachers and peers as character witnesses

7. People who were in the area where the crime occurred around the time it took place.

The police department should also collect any physical evidence that may be related to the case, such as surveillance footage, fingerprints, DNA, and so on. Finally, the department should review any previous complaints or incidents involving either the victim or the accused to see if there is a history of violence or theft.

Analysis

The presence of cans shows a lack of carefreeness on the part of the thief(s), assuming that the fingerprints on the cans match those around the radios. However, since there is no damage on and around the radio(s), it shows that the person who stole the equipment is good with tools. According to this information, the thief may be a student with relevant electronics expertise. However, there is also the possibility that the drivers themselves may be involved, and the presence of cans may just be students being students. Matching the fingerprints on cans with those on and around the radio station is a key determinant here. The staff and students may also have known associates, so fingerprints should also be compared to these people for identification.