Area or Neighborhood Canvass

Countless cases have been solved through area canvass.  An area canvass is labor intensive, boring, embarrassing to some detectives, hated by many officers and there is very little training available anywhere on how to do it, in fact most textbooks merely say, “conduct an area canvass.” 

A neighborhood canvass, also known as an area canvass, is a comprehensive investigation method that involves conducting personal interviews with individuals in a specific area relevant to, and in proximity to, an ongoing investigation or crime. 

A well-executed and properly documented neighborhood canvass can be an invaluable tool in generating leads and resolving cases, whereas a quickly conducted and inadequately documented canvass can significantly impede the timely and successful resolution of a case. Many detectives or patrol officers do the area canvass to “check a box” that it was done but don’t give it a good effort.  You as the person overseeing the canvass must motivate those helping you to do it properly.  

The person overseeing the mechanics of the area canvass, usually the lead detective or the team supervisor, must focus on five (5) things: 

1. Explain to those helping you what you expect 

2. Establishing the boundaries of the area canvass 

3. Provide specific instructions to each participant 

4. Ensure that there are clear communications when an eye or ear witness is found 

5. Provide instructions on how to document all the activities of the area canvass, first in their notebooks then in the formal reports 

6. Also remember the offender may live in the neighborhood, the unanswered door knock should always raise suspicion until the issue is resolved by contacting the occupants at another time (which may be as simple as the homeowner truthfully stating that they were working) 

7. You may also run into someone that during the area canvass becomes a person of interest in the crime itself, this is an opportunity for you to ask for consent to search first and foremost 

1. Numerous cunning criminals believe that by granting consent, they can trick an officer into presuming their innocence and foregoing the search 

2. If permission to search a house or car is refused, officers should promptly confer with the canvass supervisor to determine whether additional information has been obtained elsewhere in the investigation to justify a search without a warrant or to prepare an affidavit for a search warrant 

The mechanics of the area canvass are as follows: 

1. Ideally an area canvass should be conducted immediately and by both uniformed officers and plain clothes detectives separately.  Why?  Because people feel comfortable speaking to one of the two, but you don’t know which one they like better, so you give them both options 

2. Start nearest to the scene and work your way out from there systematically.  Express to each team member assisting with the area canvass that the investigation is looking for witnesses that heard, saw, or know something about the crime location, the victim, the offender, or other witnesses.   

3. If they know nothing about the crime that is also important to document as it “locks them in” to a story that later, they cannot become defense witnesses.  The defense attorney will hire investigators to also do an area canvass just like you but at a much later time 

4. The best approach at the door is to identify yourself to the person, show your badge, hand them your business card, ask if you can step inside for privacy, tell them a bit about what happened, say something about how this could have happened to them or their family and then ask them if they know anything about the crime.   

5. Always speak to each person separately. 

1. I usually say something like “please don’t discuss this important detail with anyone but it looks like he was shot with a very small gun.”  

2. If you must, make something up that is not crucial—you want to give them something “juicy about the investigation”, then say “we are speaking with everyone in the neighborhood, so you don’t need to worry that any information you give me will be connected back to you” 

6. Tell them that a neighbor heard (gunshots, argument, car, etc.), did they hear anything, you may have to interrogate them, don’t rush through the process, stay there, have moments of silence while there (this gets people talking) 

1. Ask them who else lives with them and if they are home (you will have to come back and talk to them later if not at home) 

2. A mistake often made is for officers to only speak to one occupant of a house or business and then consider the canvass of that location completed. 

3. Ask for the names of everyone who lives there, or sleeps there, ask who visits the location (could be a nurse, lawn person, pool person, etc.), you get the picture. Once everyone is identified, you will contact all of them also.  

4. Never ask, “Who lives here?” which may permit a witness to exclude others, ask specific questions as mentioned previously  

7. If you run into someone that was not there during the time the crime occurred, use that person to provide you with background information about neighbors, the area, past crimes, suspicious activities, etc. 

8. Once you are done with the interview, pull out your notebook and get their personal information (ask for ID) and write down what they told you “Word for word” 

9. Also make sure you ask these questions (locking them into a story): 

1. Do they know what happened or do they know what took place? 

2. When and how did they learn of the crime? 

3. Did they go to the crime scene at any time? 

4. Were they at the scene yesterday or anytime this month? 

5. Do they know the victim 

6. What is their relationship with the victim? 

10. Before you leave, tell them about Crime Stoppers, I usually have Crime Stopper Cards to also hand out, discuss how they can make money 

Let’s Review the important steps of an area canvass: 

• Establishing the boundaries of the neighborhood 

• Provide specific instructions to each participant 

• Ensure that there are clear communications when an eye or ear witness is found 

• Provide instructions on how to document all the activities of the area canvass as we just discussed 

Don’t do this: 

• “Hi, my name is Detective David Rivero, the man across the hallway was killed, did you see anything” 

• Do try to personalize the information,  

• “They could have easily broken into your house” 

• “The rapist could easily be back if we don’t catch him” 

• “This could have happened to your own kids” 

You will do two (2) more Area Canvasses 

• You will come back and redo the area canvass one more time the next day at the same time as the incident  

• and then again, a few days or even one week later at dinner time when everyone is home 

Also consider two other types of area canvass: 

• Offender arrested area canvass 

• Roadblock to pass out flyers