Answer

Investigating Homicide, Robbery and Rape

People engage in crime for various reasons. For every crime committed, there are always innocent law-abiding victims whose lives are involuntarily changed. Analysing the prevalence of crimes to discover trends and offer justice to victims is, therefore of critical importance. This paper looks at the prevalence of three specific crimes within my locality: homicide, robbery and sexual assault. It addresses the differences between these three crimes, and goes on to look at some of the methods that law enforcement can use to investigate them.

In the local community within which I live, robbery, homicide and sexual assault are not new. They constitute some of the most common and widely reported crimes within the locality. Their prevalence differs even within this community. In the last six months, for example, there have been three homicide cases that were investigated and widely publicised within the State. Over the same period, there have been slightly over two dozen robbery cases that were reported to the local police. By national standards, this local community is relatively safer when it comes to violent robberies. I believe this is partly due to its predominantly middle-income status. Over the same period of six months, more than two hundred cases of sexual assault have been reported, making this period one of the worst when it comes to sexual assault. Given that many of the sexual assault cases, unlike robberies and homicides, often go unreported, it is important to see how critical this spike in cases was. Compared to the previous year, the cases have almost doubled. This, I feel, can be attributed to the COVID-19 demands that have restricted movement in most instances and limited school activities. Many of the reported cases were domestic cases that had also affected minors.

There are differences between homicide, robbery and sexual assault. Homicide is the killing of one person by another person. Homicide may include the intentional killing of someone (murder) or the unintentional killing of a person (manslaughter). A robbery, on the other hand, is a crime that constitutes forcefully taking something of value through the use of force, or by the threat of it (Connolly & Gordon 2015). In comparison., sexual assault is a crime in which an offender touches or exposes the victim to unwanted and offensive sexual touching. There are a wide range of sexual assault crimes, including groping, assault, attempted rape and other forms of involuntary sexual contact.

There are different ways in which these crimes are investigated by law enforcement. Robberies can be investigated by responding and observation. This can be an observation of the scene of crime for any potential clues, installed cameras or even the victims of crime especially when they are hurt. The investigation can also be done by interviewing the victims and witnesses because they have the first-hand information that may assist in the investigation. Broadcasting the robber’s information to the general public is also essential in ensuring that they are possibly apprehended.

In contrast, homicide investigations are done by detailed examinations of crime scenes and the people who are suspected to have been murdered. The detectives concentrate their efforts on establishing contacts, communication and previous conflicts that may cause anyone to want to harm the person harm. A leading means of investigations here is forensic evidence where the deceased and the objects around them are taken to the lab for DNA analysis. There may also be interviewing of potential suspects and witnesses so as to gain further insights on the nature of the crime. Sexual assault, on the other hand, could be investigated through extensive interviews of both the suspects and the victims. The victims could be observed for bruises, cuts or any injuries that may emanate from the encounter (Spohn, White and Tellis 2014). Forensic investigation too can possibly be done in case there is doubt on the perpetrator.

As discussed above, homicide, robbery and sexual assault are some of the most common crimes committed within my locality. The sharp increase in sexual assault cases demand that these cases be studied with the aim of introducing suitable interventions. The three forms of crime can be investigated through varied methods that may include interviews of victims and suspects, analysis of crime scenes and investigations aided by forensic science.