Expert: Chris Wagoner - 9/6/2009

Question
I'm writing a story that takes place in San Francisco in 1947. The protagonist is a detective in the police department and he responds to a call about a missing woman. Last seen six months previous, but someone finally noticed. My questions:

1. Is it plausible that two uniforms would be the first to show up at the missing woman's apartment to talk to the person who made the call? And if so, would they then call the detective unit to send someone out?

2. Is it plausible that the detective show up by himself, or would he always be with a partner?

3. At the scene, since there is no dead body, would the detective touch anything? I'm assuming he would look around for evidence.

4. Would forensics be called in for any reason?

5. Is a lieutenant or a captain above a detective? What situation would cause that person to show up?

6. Any suggestions on where I can find details for police procedures during that era?

I look forward to your response.

Answer
Hi Diane,

Sorry for the delay I was on vacation and forgot to set myself away. But I am back now and here you go!

1. Is it plausible that two uniforms would be the first to show up at the missing woman's apartment to talk to the person who made the call? And if so, would they then call the detective unit to send someone out?

A: We almost always send out a patrol (uniform) unit to take initial reports on all calls. Even on the report of a Murder, the first to respond is always a patrol unit. So yes they could/would send out two officers to take the initial report. Then if they felt it warranted it, they could request a Detective (CID Unit - stands for Criminal Investigations Division).

2. Is it plausible that the detective show up by himself, or would he always be with a partner?

A: Detectives work a lot of times alone. The only time you see them work with a partner is on a very large police force where they are investigating something like a murder. In fact the vast majority of detective work is done alone.

3. At the scene, since there is no dead body, would the detective touch anything? I'm assuming he would look around for evidence.

A: It all depends on the scene. He of course would enter the home to make sure she was not injured and laying there in the bedroom needing help or something. We are only allowed to enter someone's home under very strict guidelines. One of those is to check the welfare of someone that is reported as missing or what we call a "welfare check". We would have to have permission to enter the home or apartment from the landlord or if the victim is the owner, we would have to see some kind of evidence to make us go in. Signs of struggle, furniture moved around, something knocked over, seeing a body laying on the ground, a smell that we can not identify.

4. Would forensics be called in for any reason?

A: Only if there was some kind of evidence the detective wanted to collect. If there were pill bottles on the nightstand and they wanted to take them into evidence, then he/she would call a crime scene unit to photograph and collect everything from the scene.


5. Is a lieutenant or a captain above a detective? What situation would cause that person to show up?

A: Lt. and Capt.'s are above Detectives. A Lt. or Capt. are the ones that run the CID unit. A Capt. would normally have 2 or 3 Lt.s working for him/her. Each Lt.s would in turn have 3-4 Sgt.'s working for them and in turn each Sgt. would have about 4-6 Detectives working for them, that is in a lot of agencies. In some agencies you have to be a Sgt. to be a detective and that would mean the Sgt.s are under the Lt. who is under the Capt. A Lt. or Capt. can show up to any scene and often do. Not to check on the Detective, but to offer any help the detective needs. My Lt. used to go get me coffee on a long night on a scene. :)


6. Any suggestions on where I can find details for police procedures during that era?

The procedures have not really changed all that much, its the technology that has changed. We use pretty much the same procedures, just better technology now. You will have to be careful to make sure your police are not using technology they would not have back then, thats all. Such as they would all be using .38 Smith and Wesson Revolvers, not the Glocks we use now. They would not have Mace or OC Spray, no TASERs and they would carry Cherry Wood or Oak Nightsticks, not the Expandable batons we have now. Those are a few equipment issues you need to consider. Also for the Forensics Crime scene guys back then it was photograph and collect and they were just beginning to really use fingerprints. No DNA, no alternate light source, no luminol for blood stains. It was all by eye back then. :)

I hope that all helps. Again sorry for the delay.

Be well and good luck on your writing, feel free to ask any more questions you may have.