Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/139048
SPECIAL REPORT Investigating Big Crimes in Small Towns SUMMARY To prepare for that rare but major crime, first, know that it can happen even in your quiet community. Immediately default to established checklists and ask for help from an agency more experienced in this kind of crime. Team up your department's own investigators. Slow down, don't jump to conclusions, and keep your ego in check. Resources and equipment should be requested from nearby agencies with specific expertise. INVESTIGATING BIG CRIMES IN SMALL TOWNS INFORMATION IS THE ANSWER, COOPERATION IS THE KEY. By JL Sumpter O ffcer Jones receives a call of a possible suicide. Though not a call handled every day, these types of incidents do happen and are common enough. As Offcer Jones arrives on the scene, he sees the body but there is no weapon that you would expect to fnd with a suicide…and the body has multiple gun shot wounds. As anxiety kicks in, he knows his 10 years working in a small town (or rural county) had not prepared him for what is about to happen. Increasingly, small and rural departments get hit with what large 28 LAW and ORDER I June 2013 cities deal with several times a day. With preparation, this does not have to be a problem for offcers. Most rural police departments take on the day dealing with repetitious events with no thought of the "Big One" occurring. Unlike larger departments, many small organizations do not have the resources to handle such events. When this happens the "What do I do now?" factor surfaces. What could be an easy and straightforward process may turn into a cluster. Although major crimes are sneaking into rural areas, the number of violent crimes remains three times higher in larger cities. Major property crimes, including organized crimes, are almost double that