Since 2018, the average crime rate in Ghana has increased. From 2020 to 2021, violent crimes increased by 40.8%, according to the public safety and crime report for 2021. Manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault are the most common types of violent crimes in the country, according to the same report.
All over the world, criminal investigation is becoming increasingly difficult. To successfully determine what takes place during a crime, the police rely on experts from a variety of fields. The general lack of public and police forensic awareness is one factor that has contributed to the overall rigor of criminal investigations.
FSL Ghana Police Service Forensic Lab: FORENSIC SCIENCE LABORATORY Ghana Police Service In order to improve Ghana's criminal investigation, the Ghana Police Service gave the Forensic Science Laboratory a contract in 2011. This is progress, but it comes with its own challenges, especially in terms of public and police awareness of crime and forensics. Since 2016, at least 200,000 complaints have been filed, according to the Ghana Police Service. This means that 22 crimes are reported every hour and 547 crimes are reported daily on average. It is important to educate the public on the right and wrong ways to avoid self-incrimination and obstruction of justice.
As a result, forensic awareness is crucial to the preservation of evidence that ultimately enables the proper execution of justice.
Types of crime scenes and how to tell them apart Types of crime scenes in the indoors An enclosed, covered, or roofed area like a bedroom, garage, classroom, or cabinet are all examples of indoor crime scenes. This could also be the scene of a crime, such as an indoor location with crime-related evidence like a rubber bag with a bloody knife stuck under a bed.
It is important to keep in mind that what a victim or a witness of a crime or its scene sees may not limit the entire area of a crime scene. For instance, the law enforcement agency in charge of the investigation considers the entire apartment to be a crime scene when a crime occurs in the master bedroom of a two-bedroom self-contained apartment.
This might sometimes extend to places other than that apartment. The entire area of the crime scene must be established by law enforcement. In addition, it is essential to keep in mind that any suspicious instrument, mark, or object, including a bloody knife, a soaked towel, bedspread, or towel, a bloody footprint, or handprint, particularly one that is suspected of being part of a crime, that is discovered within an enclosed area is to be considered a crime scene until otherwise confirmed.
Some strange indoor scenes of trafficking are not always red. Kidnapping and human trafficking are on the rise in Ghana, and this trend has recently received attention. The kinds of crime scenes that the average person is accustomed to seeing are not always present at these kinds of crimes. To report these kinds of crimes, extra caution is required.
Seven Nigerian Sakawa kingpins were taken in cybercrime; Seized laptops and servers The majority of cybercriminals work in groups Source: MyNewsGH According to data from the cybercrime bureau of the Ghana Police Service, cyber fraud is the most common type of cybercrime in Ghana. It is responsible for more than 45% of all cases involving cybercrime.
It is essential to examine it from the perspective of an indoor crime scene. The majority of cybercrimes are committed by individuals inside a room. In addition, it has been discovered that the majority of cybercriminals work in groups. When there are a lot of people living in a place and using a lot of computers, like laptops, webcams, routers, and modems, the public is urged to be careful.
Terrorism has loud warning signs because it relies on publicity, but not before it is orchestrated. It can be hard to spot, especially in an indoor setting, because of how different it is done. However, one thing to keep in mind is: When you come across a pile of unidentified crates in an indoor area, it's best to be cautious. Large quantities of urea, ammonia, and nitrate-based fertilizer in an indoor space, particularly one that is not owned by a farmer.
Chart: Statista: The Global Impact of Terrorism Outdoor crime scenes As the name suggests, an outdoor crime scene is a location where a crime has been committed that is exposed to the environment, such as a compound, on the road, a park, an exposed farm, a backyard garden, or the sites of motor vehicle accidents, disasters, explosions, and natural disasters.
Outdoor evidence is subject to the conditions of the surrounding environment because of the amount of exposure it receives.
Some strange outdoor scenes Clandestine labs Illicit drugs are produced in clandestine labs. It is highly unlikely that an outsider would find himself inside due to the potential danger posed by such actors. A portion of the indications of having a stealthy lab incorporate having a high recurrence of impactful discharges from an encased house, continuous age and removal of a great deal of reject and a reliably elevated degree of safety.
The scene of a conveyance crime Conveyance crimes are those that take place on moving transportation. Vans (trotros), taxis, trains, planes, canoes, boats, ships, and so on are all examples. Fundamentally, any wrongdoing which happens on board any type of vehicle is viewed as a transport wrongdoing. This category also includes car theft and hijacking.
Other topics that merit discussion include the electronic crime scene. The development of information technology in the wake of Covid-19 has increased our reliance on the internet and electronic devices. It is likely that a greater portion of the population has already interacted with an electronic crime scene due to their increasing nature and the generally low rate of cybersecurity awareness.
Social engineering schemes, in which victims or targets are asked for crucial information that compromises their digital security, are the most prevalent type of such attacks. One thing unites all of the other types of attacks, including the use of malware to gain access to information and hold a device or organization hostage.
They involve digital devices that store data that can be used in research, such as smart watches, laptop and desktop computers, mobile phones, and the emerging domestic Internet of Things.
The human body In some cases, valuable evidence is left behind on the human body. Sexual offenses like rape and defilement typically leave valuable but fleeting evidence on the victims' or perpetrators' bodies. In such instances, it is essential to recognize the victim's evidential value and take the necessary precautions to prevent their loss.
Even though there are many different kinds of evidence, it's important to remember that even the most well-organized crimes sometimes don't go as planned, and that a single crime may involve more than one type of scene.