Crime and Clues

Burglary Investigations

Burglary is sometimes also known as Home Invasion, or Breaking and Entering. The unlawful entry into the premises of another with intent to commit a felony (usually larceny) therein.

Burglaries represent one of the more common crimes to which patrol officers respond. Someone has returned home from an evening out and found the doors open and their property missing. The police are called, and an investigation is begun.

Often there are no witnesses to these crimes which makes the collection of evidence from the scene even more crucial. It is possible to find a great variety of evidence at burglary scenes, this article will attempt to introduce some of the more common types.

Unless the crime is known with certainty to be old, officers should respond as if it has just occurred. Often it is the arrival of the owner/residents which has caused the burglar to flee from the scene. Officers should be aware that the suspect(s) may still be in the area and be alert for suspicious persons as they make their way to the scene.

Generally it is not necessary to go to great lengths to secure a burglary scene. Ask the victim to avoid handling anything, and try to keep them in an undisturbed portion of the scene. Traffic through the building should be minimized. In some cases the victims may have already been through the entire premises and begun to clean up before the police arrive. This makes the location of evidence more difficult.

The victim is an important part of any investigation. Have the victim walk you through the scene and point out the locations of items which have been disturbed.

A rule of thumb for any crime scene is that the best evidence is usually found at the point of greatest activity. At burglary scenes this is often the place where the suspect gained entry into the building. (The Point of Entry). One of the first things which needs to be determined then is: How and Where was entry gained? The most common methods are breaking a window or kicking in a door. If some other method of entry is used, make special note of it. Be sure to check all the doors and windows for signs of forced entry- often a burglar may try several doors or windows before finding one they can open. Where did the suspect(s) go inside the scene? In basic terms where are the items which are missing or disturbed? Look along the routes from the Point of Entry to the locations of the items.

Fingerprints are one of the best forms of evidence at any scene, and burglaries offer many opportunities for locating prints. The normal method of fingerprint processing at burglary scenes is with fingerprint powder. Powder has been used in crime investigation since the early 1900's. It's cheap and effective. The only materials required are a soft brush, light and dark colored powders and a roll of clear tape. Once developed the fingerprints can be photographed and/or lifted with tape.

When looking for items to process for latent prints, the rule of thumb is that the more like glass the surface is, the better. Hard, smooth, clean surfaces offer the best chance for locating latent fingerprints. The less smooth the surface is the less likely it is to yield identifiable prints, with cloth being more or less impossible to recover prints from. Dusting wet or greasy surfaces will just result in you ruining your brush. Wet items can be air dried and processed later, while greasy surfaces will require a completely different processing technique.

There are several new materials available which aid in the recovery of prints from textured surfaces. They don't improve the chances that prints will be left on the surfaces, but they allow you to recover any prints you do find. Look in a current crime scene supply catalog for details.

One of the best things about fingerprints at crime scenes is AFIS, the computerized fingerprint database. Crime scene prints of sufficient quality can be searched in the computer, and can develop suspects in otherwise cold cases.

Footwear impressions can often be found near points of entry, either below windows, or on doors which have been kicked. With broken windows, it can also be valuable to check the glass on the floor inside the window for impressions.

Footwear impressions on glass or doors can be recovered using fingerprint powders and lifting tape. Footwear imprints can also be photographed. Use a scale in the photographs so they can be reprinted actual size. Footwear impressions in dirt or snow can be cast. Dental stone is the current casting material of choice. It is usually mixed with water in a large "Ziplock" bag and poured into the impression. Casting can be rather time consuming, and specific instructions are outside the scope of this article.

In some cases the burglar may use a tool to aid in gaining entry. Prying open windows and doors is a common technique. Sometimes it is also possible to use pliers to rotate a deadbolt and draw back the bolt. Knives or other thin objects may be used to slip locks. These tools leave scratches or other impressions when they are used, and the marks can be compared to any tools which are later recovered.

Tools may become broken during use. Finding a broken knife blade or screwdriver tip should prompt a search for the tool it originated from.

It is not unusual for a burglar to become injured while entering a building, particularly when they enter through broken windows. Look carefully at the Point of Entry for signs that the suspect may be injured. Often it is quite obvious that an injury has occurred from the trail of blood through the residence.

Blood can be collected by several methods. The easiest is to find an object with a good size stain on it, and simply collect the whole object. (Like a piece of broken glass which is stained with blood). Another good method is swabbing with a sterile cotton swab.

In addition to collecting the blood itself, look for items the burglar may have used to clean up or control the bleeding. Most people don't like to walk around bleeding, so often you will find that they have used towels or tissue to control the bleeding, and possibly a sink to wash up. The towel or tissues make your collection job easy, just take them. You may also locate additional items which can be processed for latent prints. In one case a great latent fingerprint was developed on the side of a Band-Aid box which the burglar had opened to get himself a bandage.

Searching for fiber evidence can be extremely time consuming and is normally reserved for major crimes. However, the burglar may have snagged or torn their clothing when entering, leaving behind fibers or even large sections of cloth. These are fairly easy to locate and collect, simply examine broken items with a flashlight.

If the call was a crime in progress and someone stops a possible suspect, be sure to look them over carefully as well. Look at their shoes for mud or dirt and note what the tread pattern is. Look at their clothing for any snags or tears. See if they have any injuries. Are they carrying tools or gloves? (In many jurisdictions possession of burglary tools is another chargeable offence). Communicate with the officer onscene and see if there is anything which can tie them to the scene.

Those things you find at scenes which really make your day. A series of footwear imprints in snow which have no tread detail, but lead to the back door of the neighbor's house. The suspects wallet which slipped out of his pocket as he squeezed through the window. Those Polaroid photographs or videotape the suspect made of himself while at the scene. Always be alert to the possibility that the suspect may have done something really stupid and left you a bonus at the scene.