Cold Cases
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Source file: 2.06 Cold Cases.pdf. Policy dates appear on the original cover. Page links use the PDF's page order.
Numbered references matching MPAC standards open the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission’s official manual at the standard’s PDF page. Older MPAC numbers open its numbering crosswalk. Other printed references open CALEA’s official titles list; unlisted numbers open the directory. The original policy labels and reference numbers are preserved.
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Policy & Procedures No. 2.06
Subject:
Cold Cases
Issuing Authority: Effective Date: Review Date:
Chief of Police 07/07/2014 09/25/2023
References:
Revision
& 06/30/2016
Reissued 04/12/2018
Dates: 07/25/2020
CALEA STANDARDS
42.2.9
__________________________________________________________________
Purpose The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures regarding the investigation of
unsolved cold cases.
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Policy It is the policy of the Canton Police Department that all major cases will be
investigated until solved. Cases that have not been closed at the end of one year,
and for which no new evidence or leads are available, will be considered “cold
cases”, and will be subject to the procedures outlines herein.
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Definitions
42.22.9 (2A) Cold Case
A criminal investigations (or case) that remains unsolved after one year in which
all known leads have been exhausted. A suspect may or may not have been
named at the time of the crime or developed during the original investigation.
Major Cases
The following crimes/incidences are considered major cases: Homicide, any other
death, rape, kidnapping, assault involving serious bodily injury that could result in
death, arson, a terrorism related event, or other cases as determined by the
Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) Supervisor.
Canton Police Department’s Cold Case Policy Page 102PDF page 2Read textHide text
Procedure Cold cases are subject to the following provisions: 42.2.9 (2C) STEP ACTION If no new information is received regarding a criminal investigation after a 1 period of one year, the case will be forwarded to the CIU Supervisor for review. Upon reviewing the case, the Unit Supervisor will determine if it should be classified as a “cold case” or if it will remain active Once a case is determined to be “cold”, the assigned investigator will compile 2 all reports, notes, photos and other materials relative to the case and secure them in a designated case folder or box. The investigator will then prepare a synopsis of the case to date and a list of all evidence associated with the investigation. The case folder/box will be presented to the CIU Supervisor for review. 3 Upon the approval, the case folder/box will be submitted to the Evidence Control Officer. The Evidence Control Officer will store the materials in a property area clearly designated for “cold cases”. The ECO will also locate any case evidence and secure it in the cold case section in a separate container 4 designated with the case number. If any evidence has been submitted for examination or is being stored in any place other than a Department property room, this will be noted in a memorandum from the ECO to the CIU Supervisor, with a copy enclosed in the stored case file. If such evidence is returned to CPD, it will be included with the cold case items. Each year, in a schedule to be determined by the CIU Supervisor, detectives 5 will meet with him/her to discuss the status of their cold cases. The CIU Supervisor will then determine if any cold cases should be reopened or reassigned. Each year the CIU Supervisor will meet with the Lieutenant in charge of CIU 6 to discuss the “Cold Cases”; specifically, which numbers of cases are being investigated and a brief summary of each. If new information becomes available, the detective will investigate the lead 7 and document all new actions in the case file. Canton Police Department’s Cold Case Policy Page 2
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Case Evaluations 42.2.9 (2B) The CIU Supervisor may consider the following criteria in determining whether to reopen a cold case: • Statute of limitations • Technological considerations, such as the nature and condition of evidence, and in some instances, the availability of new forensic techniques that may help solve the case. • The availability of witnesses • The willingness of victims to further participate in the investigation • Resources issues such as the time and money available for investigation and forensic analysis, and • Consultation with the District Attorney’s Office Assignment Criteria 42.2.9 (2B) For some cold cases, a review by a different investigator might provide a fresh perspective that may be useful in resolving the incident. The Criminal Investigations Unit Supervisor will assign or reassign cold cases to detectives using the following criteria: • Experience of the detective • Detective’s area of expertise and training • Detective’s current caseload • New information and technologies available • Existing evidence and it’s quality • Availability of witnesses, suspect(s), and original investigators, and • Age of the case Recording Activities 42.2.9 (2C) Each year the CIU Supervisor will meet with the Lieutenant in charge of CIU to discuss the “Cold Cases”; specifically, which numbers of cases are being investigated and a brief summary outlining the current status of each as well as any actions regarding them. Canton Police Department’s Cold Case Policy Page 3