Handling Suspects in Criminal Investigations Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply the legal framework governing the handling of suspects in terms of the South African Criminal Procedure Act.
• Demonstrate the correct procedures for informing suspects of their rights, including the right to legal representation.
• Conduct lawful interviews and interrogations that respect the suspect’s constitutional rights.
• Evaluate evidence obtained from suspects for admissibility in court.
• Implement ethical practices to prevent coercion, false confessions, or violations of human dignity.
• Analyze case law and precedents to guide decision-making during suspect handling.

Target Audience

This course is designed for corporate investigators, security managers, loss prevention officers, and law enforcement personnel who are responsible for handling suspects in the investigation of alleged crimes within a South African context.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Practical sessions are integral to this course, allowing learners to apply legal procedures in simulated arrest, search, and interview scenarios. Hands-on practice ensures competence in lawful suspect handling, documentation, and courtroom testimony.

Practical Activities

• Practical 1: Arrest and Handcuffing Simulation — Learners practice lawful arrest procedures including verbal commands, handcuffing, and search incidental to arrest in a controlled role-play environment. (4h)
• Practical 2: Investigative Interviewing Role-Play — Learners conduct mock interviews with suspects using the PEACE model, focusing on rapport building and lawful questioning. (4h)
• Practical 3: Search and Seizure Exercise — Learners perform searches of persons, vehicles, and premises in simulated scenarios, completing all required documentation and chain of custody forms. (4h)
• Practical 4: Integrated Scenario and Court Testimony — Learners participate in a full scenario from arrest to court preparation, then give evidence in a mock trial setting. (4h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.