AboutPhilip Sweeting Expertise Can answer questions concerning police procedures and accepted police practices, specifically : arrest, use of force, internal affairs, recruitment and hiring, constitutional rights and accreditation.
Experience Have over 26 years of Law Enforcement experience eight of which have been as Deputy Chief of Police. Have worked for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, CALEA, as a team leader, evaluating police agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Have a BS degree in Political Science, a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command, and the Senior Management Institute for Police conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum, PERF.
Have consulted and testified for both plaintiff and defense attorneys as an expert witness.
WEB: PolicePracticesExpert.com
Question QUESTION: Mystery writer here, checking that I've got the procedure right. My police detectives are investigating an attempted murder that took place in their small city, and a police detective in a nearby large city is also working on it because one of the criminals comes from there. The investigation turns up solid evidence that another person masterminded the crime. He's on vacation abroad, and his residence is in the smaller city, but he returns via the airport in the larger city. My questions are:
(1) Would the detectives from both cities be at the airport to arrest him when he landed?
(2) After the arrest, would the detectives from the smaller city take him directly back there, or would he have to be booked in the large city first? (The warrant would be issued in the smaller city.)
Thank you!
ANSWER: The warrant would actually be issued by the court/prosecutor (not by the city) that has jurisdiction for that area. In FL it would be the county which can have several cities.
As for the physical arrest...it would be made by whoever has jurisdiction at the airport. Assuming the airport was not located in the smaller city....those officers could accompany the police to the airport and assist in the arrest.
After the arrest is made he would be booked at the County jail...he may never make it back to the smaller city. The detectives from the smaller city could go to the jail and try to question him there.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Very helpful so far, but, to complicate the situation, the two cities are in different counties. The warrant would be issued in the county where the crime took place (and the criminal resides). So 2 more questions:
(1) Would they book him in the county where he's arrested, or the county where the warrant was issued?
(2) Whatever the answer to (1), I assume that they'd have to transfer him to the jail in the county where the warrant was issued (and the crime was committed). How would that be handled physically? (I.e., could my officers bring him back to the smaller city themselves?)
Thanks again!
Answer In real life he would be booked in the county he was initially arrested for the warrant and held until someone from the county jail where the warrant was issued made arrangements to have him transferred to their jail.
Your officers would have no involvement in that transfer... and unless they wanted to interview him they would have no further involvement....but it is fiction correct?
I suppose one of your officers could "assist" in the transfer with the officers from the county jail where he will end up and keep it somewhat realistic.
