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June Tour of Duty
By Staff Writer Dennis J. McGowan
Questions submitted this month are composed by authors with works-in-progress. Can you figure out who wrote which question? Visit their web sites where available.
Georgia West [http://www.mysterywriters.org]; Donna Weaver; Carole McDonnell [HudsonValleyWriters@yahoogroups.com]
My TOUR OF DUTY begins ~~~
1. "I saw your invitation to submit questions". . . . and "checked out your column--very interesting."
Thank you!
"I am beginning a mystery novel set in upstate New York. I am having trouble finding information of the structure of the state police and a county sheriff's department.
A. Can you recommend a publication?"
The structure information you request is called the chain of command.
The New York State Police maintain a site which invites questions by e-mail from interested parties: http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/
Contact the sheriff's department in the county in which your 'alleged' crime is committed. Inform them you are a mystery writer in need of information about the department and want to portray an accurate picture. The sheriff might assign someone to answer your questions on chain of command or even answer them him/herself. As an added bonus, the authenticity of your personal contact will add to the verisimilitude of your novel.
B. "I am dealing with a rural crime, so town police would not be involved. I've been told either the sheriff's department or the State Police would investigate a murder, probably depending on who got the call. Is ....[ the decision on who investigates] THIS arbitrary?"
No. Despite some consensus to the contrary, reason does prevail in law enforcement.
Every county has a sheriff whose jurisdiction is county property and corrections (i.e., Duchess County or Sullivan County Sheriff's Department). County funds for law enforcement in rural areas are difficult to obtain due to the nature of the area itself. Logically, the lesser population is supplied with a lower budget to maintain their law enforcement organization.
In the case of a homicide, the sheriff's department in a rural county would most likely call in the New York State Police to facilitate the investigation because the NYSP have the investigators and laboratory facilities for analyzing evidence.
A rural sheriff's department may only have the county funding to maintain a uniformed presence. Their coffers might not have the monies to employ special investigators or maintain a laboratory.
2. "My work in progress is a children's book. If the owner of a pet shop is arrested and held for some crime... what do the police do with his inventory?"
A. 'Dangerous'?
If you are considering a boa constrictor or baby gorilla dangerous, animal control would be called in to rescue, remove and care for them.
B. 'Non-dangerous'?
A Cocker Spaniel puppy or Angora kitten would also be put in the care of animal control.
But before these drastic measures are taken, an alternate for the owner (spouse, family member, friend or employee) might be called to handle the inventory.
3. "When an FBI agent is arrested for committing a crime by another law enforcement agency....
A. How long would it take to begin an internal FBI investigation into the 'alleged' misdeeds of the agent?"
Internal Affairs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation would immediately commence their investigation.
B. "Secondly, how is it decided who the FBI supervisor in charge of the investigation will be?"
The Director of Internal Affairs for an area, such as the Northeast Region, would make the decision on who would direct the investigation.
See you next month!
Signing off,
Dennis J. McGowan
Have a question for Dennis? Send it to:
ReadersRoom2@aol.com
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