How do Police name their cases?

Question

I'm writing an investigative story and I"m trying to figure out all that detective stuff. I hear a lot about numbering cases but I also hear a lot about how they give the case a name.

Answer 1

As mentioned above.  They start with the year then it's numerical startging at 1.  08-000001,  08-000002, etc.

Answer 2

Cases don't get names.  They are given a case number.  Eight digit number, starting with the year, followed by the current number.  Such as 08-000001, or 08-216345

Answer 3

--- I worked as a Deputy Sheriff Investigator for 21 years and I have never heard of any agency giving their cases "names." Most agencies simply use a case number identification so as to easily identify and locate the reports and evidence. An example is the years followed by the sequential case number for that case, ie: 08 - 456874. You might hear someone say, "Where is the report from the Smith Homicide?" or "Where the h**l is the evidence from the Johnson drug buy we made?" or "Does anyone have the Jones B&E paperwork?" But that's as much of a name I ever heard.

--- All that "Black Dahlia" or "Case of the Green Serpent" goo is from the media, not from the police.

Answer 4

As the other poster pointed out, cases get report numbers, not names.

A high profile case may get a informal nickname by the police. Many times the press give the case a name to sensationalize the incident.

Now multi-agency investigations will get a name because different agencies use different ways of numbering. This will have to do with a certain aspect of the case like:  

A task force going after a rapist who wears a red ski mask may get called "the red mask task force"  or a group of robbers who use stolen Mustangs may get "stolen pony group." In San Francisco, the "Zebra" Killings task force was named after the radio channel they were assigned, Channel "Z"  

There is one more way a case will get a name. If the case is so sensitive, and referring to it in the above manor may compromise security it will be given a code word randomly selected (i.e. open a book and point to a word with your eyes closed, no kidding I saw that!)

Answer 5

They are assigned file numbers by year in sequential order.

As for names, when the case is filed and a defendant is named, the defendant's last name usually is the case name.  

For example, in the case where Nicole Brown Simpson was the victim, the case was called the O J Simpson case.  A case name is rarely referred to by the Victim's name.

And if the crime is unusual or particularly gruesome, the case picks up a nickname... Like the Zodiac killer for using astrological symbols and like Jack the Ripper, as that described the type of cut on the victims, as they were ripped open and "surgically" mutilated.

Answer 6

They usually assign it a case number and the use the charge that was committed.

For example 08-0001..08 being the year and 0001 being the first case of the year. Something like 08-0001 Assault for example, could be the year-the case number then the crime committed.

I know some police agencies use case numbers such as 08-01-001...08 being the year 01 being the month it happened and 001 being the first case of the year. I hope this helps.