85230 - Applied Investigative Techniques

Learning outcomes

The course will provide the students with the technical and juridical knowledge necessary for dealing with all aspects of the investigation and in particular its judicial/penal procedures.

The most advanced investigation techniques will be analysed during the course and both scientific and traditional methods will be applied.

Course contents

The course aims to provide students the necessary skills to be able to move in the field of police or private investigations, by acquiring the technical and theoretical skills to operate as an expert or advisor in the investigative field.
The program can be divided into two distinct parts:

Part one:

Investigations, criminality and criminal prosecution:

• Investigative techniques and tools in the current regulatory framework
• The Office of the Public Ministry and the Judicial Police
• Private detective and the defense investigations

Crime scene investigation

• First response : Technical and scientific investigations
• Person identification: "unsub" and his identification

Part two:

Digital investigation:

• Computer science applied to investigations (in brief);
• data and information: the correlation of evidence;
• communication networks;
• between virtual and real: social networks, forums and dark web;
• computer investigation: tools and techniques
• Digital forensics and digital evidence
• Brief notes on the most common international best practices for seizing electronic evidence

 

Readings/Bibliography

For the Part One:

1. Manganelli A., F. Gabrielli, Investigare, manuale pratico delle tecniche di indagine, Cedam, 2007 (limited to the chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4 only par.11, 7);

For the Part Two:

1. M. Tonellotto, Computer forensics: l’acquisizione della prova informatica, Edizioni Accademiche Italiane, 2015;
2. A. Apruzzese, Dal computer crime al computer-related crime, in Rivista di Criminologia, Vittimologia e Sicurezza, 2007, Vol.1, n. 1;
3. F. Bravo, Indagini informatiche e acquisizione della prova nel processo penale, in Rivista di Criminologia, Vittimologia e Sicurezza, 2009, n. 3 / 2001, n. 1 (numero doppio);

Teaching methods

Classroom lectures.

An active teaching methodology will be favored and the discussion in the classroom will be strongly encouraged.
Attendance at lessons (certified by at least 70% of attendance) is not mandatory but is recommended and it is necessary to carry out the exam program reserved for "attending students".

Assessment methods

The exam for non-attending students will be written (open questions) on the entire program.
Attending students will be able to take two partial tests in place of the final exam. The first test will be carried out in the first half of the course and will cover the contents addressed in class.
The second test will be carried out at the end of the course and will verify the knowledge acquired on the topics covered in the second part.
The tests for attending students will be written and will include multiple choice questions and open questions that require short answers.
The final test should be considered passed if, and only if, both tests were sufficient.

Teaching tools

Slides, online resources.

Office hours

See the website of Maurizio Tonellotto