Came home to find shots fired and crime tape - Page 2

Jack Malloy · September 27, 2005, 07:39 AM

Unless somebody has been arrested and booked and has their prints on file, or has worked security, military or law enforcement and has their prints on file, they may be virtually unknown to the fingerprint data bases.
Many people have the mistaken idea that you can just get a perfect print off a crime scene, pop it into a computer and then presto-whammo the culprits name and location pops up on the screen.
It doesn't really work like that, 99 percent of the time.

Thing is, the public does not realize this, as they have been misled by bogus tv shows.
So when they get robbed they get angry at the police for not dusting everything under the sun trying to get a fingerprint.
Silly ass shows like CSI (which once showed somebody being identified with DNA testing from a peice of rope he handled) are only going to make the whole thing worse on working cops in the real world.
Most people cannot comprehend that you need a smooth surface and an unblurry print for it to even be identifiable. And that any given smooth surface in their home or vehicle will have their own prints all over it, and family members.
Its the same **** with multiple hit shootings. Our local newspaper editor had a cow recently when some career scumbag got shot twice when trying to run over some cops in a Buick. He cannot get it into his head that just because you shoot somebody one time, they don't fall over and die like they did on reruns of Gunsmoke.

Capt. Charlie · September 27, 2005, 12:23 PM

Quote:

...So when they get robbed they get angry at the police for not dusting everything under the sun trying to get a fingerprint....

Boy, ain't it the truth, Jack! I learned to lift the prints anyway, even when they were obviously so smeared they were useless. Saved me a lot of "they didn't do a *$%# thing!" Mind you, I'm talking minor cases here: Vandalism, petit theft, etc., where you know the case will most likely go nowhere. For serious stuff, we call out det., ID, and sometimes BCI. Still, with time, the databases are getting better, and more times than not, the actor will be a repeat offender with prints on file. As I said earlier, the real problem is the juveniles. It isn't legal to keep juvi prints or pics on file, and one hell of a lot of the major crimes in this country are committed by juveniles.

afewloosescrews · September 27, 2005, 07:33 PM

I had a similar situation happen at my apartment complex a few months ago except I was police taped INTO my apartment. I had my stereo cranked and was getting ready to go run at about 9pm, but when I opened my front door I realized that my entire apartment was covered in police tape. I proceded to get yelled at by 2 different LEO's for being inside of the crime scene. Neither bothered to tell me that there was a murder or why they were so paraniod. The first LEO told me to go back into my apartment and wait until they told me it was okay to leave and the second LEO told me to get outside the police tape. I started to walk and then they both freaked out... I guess I was walking towards the body. The shooting was done by in my complex despite neither of the shooters or the victim were residents. They just choose my complex because it was nice and not heavily patrolled for a drug deal. I later found out that the entire complex was outside looking from behind the tape to see what was going on while the two shooters were around the complex somewhere and eventually escaped. So, having a nice community doesn't make a difference. I doubt that people are going to conduct illegal activities in a place that is heavily patrolled.

Blackwater OPS · September 27, 2005, 09:08 PM

True, but I used the threat of fingerprint evidence many times to get confessions, often when there could not have possible been any. Thanks "CSI"! Actual convictions based on fingerprint evidence are rare in my exp. To hard to get and to easy

Blackwater OPS · September 27, 2005, 09:09 PM

True, but I used the threat of fingerprint evidence many times to get confessions, often when there could not have possible been any. Thanks "CSI"! Actual convictions based on fingerprint evidence are rare in my exp. To hard to get and to easy for lawyers to explain away in court. Confessions on the other hand are usually hard to argue with.

Capt. Charlie · September 27, 2005, 09:28 PM

Quote:

True, but I used the threat of fingerprint evidence many times to get confessions, often when there could not have possible been any.

Hee-hee! We actually had one gang-banger convinced that a Garrett weapons detector was a lie detector! He was arrogant, cocky and waived his rights under Miranda, so we questioned him about a shooting. He lied out his backside, and we knew it, so one of the guys picked up the Garrett, holding it close enough to his weapon so that it would beep, and at every lie, he would thumb it on...."beep beep"

. The guy confessed to everything & got 15-20 with a gun spec.

Blackwater OPS · September 27, 2005, 10:25 PM

Damn, thats a good one, it must have been hard to keep a straight face!

September 27, 2005, 07:33 PM	#28
afewloosescrews Junior Member Join Date: August 21, 2005 Location: Just North of the creek Posts: 4	I know the feeling.. I had a similar situation happen at my apartment complex a few months ago except I was police taped INTO my apartment. I had my stereo cranked and was getting ready to go run at about 9pm, but when I opened my front door I realized that my entire apartment was covered in police tape. I proceded to get yelled at by 2 different LEO's for being inside of the crime scene. Neither bothered to tell me that there was a murder or why they were so paraniod. The first LEO told me to go back into my apartment and wait until they told me it was okay to leave and the second LEO told me to get outside the police tape. I started to walk and then they both freaked out... I guess I was walking towards the body. The shooting was done by in my complex despite neither of the shooters or the victim were residents. They just choose my complex because it was nice and not heavily patrolled for a drug deal. I later found out that the entire complex was outside looking from behind the tape to see what was going on while the two shooters were around the complex somewhere and eventually escaped. So, having a nice community doesn't make a difference. I doubt that people are going to conduct illegal activities in a place that is heavily patrolled.

September 27, 2005, 09:08 PM	#29
Blackwater OPS Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,152	True, but I used the threat of fingerprint evidence many times to get confessions, often when there could not have possible been any. Thanks "CSI"! Actual convictions based on fingerprint evidence are rare in my exp. To hard to get and to easy __________________ "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -Ben Franklin Spc. Jeremy M. Campbell Died 9/1/2005 and the best DS ever MSG Matthew Ritz Died 11.23.2005 matthewritz.com For those who have had to fight for it, Life holds a special meaning that the protected will never know. (\__/) (='.'=) Someone set us up the bunny! (")_(")

September 27, 2005, 09:09 PM	#30
Blackwater OPS Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,152	True, but I used the threat of fingerprint evidence many times to get confessions, often when there could not have possible been any. Thanks "CSI"! Actual convictions based on fingerprint evidence are rare in my exp. To hard to get and to easy for lawyers to explain away in court. Confessions on the other hand are usually hard to argue with. __________________ "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -Ben Franklin Spc. Jeremy M. Campbell Died 9/1/2005 and the best DS ever MSG Matthew Ritz Died 11.23.2005 matthewritz.com For those who have had to fight for it, Life holds a special meaning that the protected will never know. (\__/) (='.'=) Someone set us up the bunny! (")_(")

September 27, 2005, 10:25 PM	#32
Blackwater OPS Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,152	Damn, thats a good one, it must have been hard to keep a straight face! __________________ "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -Ben Franklin Spc. Jeremy M. Campbell Died 9/1/2005 and the best DS ever MSG Matthew Ritz Died 11.23.2005 matthewritz.com For those who have had to fight for it, Life holds a special meaning that the protected will never know. (\__/) (='.'=) Someone set us up the bunny! (")_(")

September 27, 2005, 07:39 AM	#26
Jack Malloy Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2005 Posts: 791	Unless somebody has been arrested and booked and has their prints on file, or has worked security, military or law enforcement and has their prints on file, they may be virtually unknown to the fingerprint data bases. Many people have the mistaken idea that you can just get a perfect print off a crime scene, pop it into a computer and then presto-whammo the culprits name and location pops up on the screen. It doesn't really work like that, 99 percent of the time. Thing is, the public does not realize this, as they have been misled by bogus tv shows. So when they get robbed they get angry at the police for not dusting everything under the sun trying to get a fingerprint. Silly ass shows like CSI (which once showed somebody being identified with DNA testing from a peice of rope he handled) are only going to make the whole thing worse on working cops in the real world. Most people cannot comprehend that you need a smooth surface and an unblurry print for it to even be identifiable. And that any given smooth surface in their home or vehicle will have their own prints all over it, and family members. Its the same **** with multiple hit shootings. Our local newspaper editor had a cow recently when some career scumbag got shot twice when trying to run over some cops in a Buick. He cannot get it into his head that just because you shoot somebody one time, they don't fall over and die like they did on reruns of Gunsmoke.